Don't You Forget About Me
by xSereneChaos
Summary: You're looking into the eyes of the one you love with all your heart and they are asking you "have we met?" When those same eyes, not so long ago, were begging, "don't forget about me."
1. Dominos

Forgive me for many reasons. I'm a first-timer and I've had this idea brewing in my head for a while and can no longer keep it in. It's gotta come out. Thanks for taking the time to read it. It may be a bit confusing and open-ended at first but it'll all be cleared up. I promise not to drag out the "set-up" of the story, which is going to be centered a lot around Miranda and Marissa, but it won't last too long, it's just to set up the tone of the story AND I promise a great deal of Minx goodness (in every chapter, flashback, fantasy or reality) and angst.  
>Enjoy!<p>

Here we go!

o.o.O.O.o.o

Life is all about moments of impact and how they change our lives forever. What if one day, you couldn't remember any of them? You're looking into the eyes of the one you love with all your heart and they are asking you "have we met?" When those same eyes, not so long ago, were begging, "don't forget about me." Can the love of a lifetime find its way back?

**Marissa's POV**

There are a lot of things in life that we all experience in the same way. Growing up, your favourite toy may have been that doll you could never go anywhere without or that teddy bear that smelled like chocolate that would easily put you to sleep at night. Maybe it was the remote control car that you got on your birthday. Just that something that you could spend hours upon hours playing with and never get bored of. For me, personally, I could spend forever lining up dominos with my dad, creating multiple tracks. I was always fascinated by how knocking down just one could cause chaos in either direction, depending on which domino was touched. Looking back on it now, I can't help but notice how my life reflects the course that a toy could take. A lot of people can recognize what I mean by this. For those of you who haven't caught on yet, simply stated, I'm talking about the domino effect: the chain of reactions that occur by a single, even insignificant, moment of impact.

In my life, someone had knocked over that first domino ten years ago and they did so by declaration of a simple confession that sent my world into a whirlwind of confusion, ultimately leading to me recognizing what my heart had been yearning and longing for for so long.

_I just…want you to know…that…I'm…attracted to you._

It was after those clear eleven words that I could hear the ticking of the tumbling dominos and I would get seven blissful years with my love, who, after two years dating, I had married, until fate would rear its ugly head and the dominos would change the direction of their course.

Three years…three years…

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Three years was exactly how long it was since the redhead, who lay in her bed tossing and turning, had had a decent and complete night's sleep. Beads of sweat rolled down her face as she could hear the faint whispers of the word 'no' coming out of her mouth and had absolutely no idea why it had come out sounding so strangled…or why it had even come out for that matter. Her eyes chose that moment to shoot open. She lay on her left side, facing her bedroom door. She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times before she felt added weight on her waist.

Nimble fingers traced straight lines up and down the side of her body starting from her waist, torturously and deliciously running smoothly and gently down her hip stopping just above her knee and retraced its path meeting its starting point. That touch felt all too familiar to Marissa Tasker-Montgomery. With the smile that she knew her love would adore and one she couldn't resist, Marissa turned to look into her eyes. As Marissa twisted her body, her love's hand never left her body. From her waist, she could feel the hand travel across her abdomen and find a comfortable place on her stomach. Hazel eyes met the chocolate brown ones of one Bianca Montgomery-Tasker, whose head was perched on her left hand, gazing at Marissa with awe.

"You're home!" whispered Marissa, excitedly, as she snaked her arm around Bianca's waist, cuddling closer to her, seeking her feet and resting her head in her collarbone. Marissa craned her neck so she could nuzzle Bianca's throat, placing a butterfly kiss beneath Bianca's chin.

"Like anyone could ever keep me away from you for too long…"

Bianca started to trace light circles around Marissa's belly button and casually slipped her hand under the fabric that covered her stomach. Removing her other hand from her face, yet still keeping her head elevated, Bianca caressed Marissa's cheek with the back of her index finger and made its way to her lips. She traced their outline and sighed contentedly before leaning down and claiming them in between hers for a soft kiss.

"No…" murmured Marissa against Bianca's lips. "…They most certainly can't." Marissa grinned as she looked into her love's eyes. Those eyes that she could spend forever losing herself in those eyes that, no matter how long she went without seeing them, she would _never_ forget them.

"You look tired, baby. Are you not sleeping?" Bianca asked, concern written all over her face. Marissa scoffed silently and lifted her right hand to graze Bianca's chin.

"No…how can I? …You're not here with me…"

_**BANG!**_

Marissa shot straight up and looked all around her bedroom.

It was empty.

She looked at the spot beside her, feeling it.

It was cold.

Bianca was gone…

_Like she has been for the last three years…_ She thought to herself.

_It was all just a dream…_

Marissa buried her face in her hand and wiped the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes, leaving a damp trail down her face and listened to her surroundings.

12:56 AM.

_Seriously? There's no way I'm getting back to sleep now. Damn it! _

…_What the hell was that noise?_

Something had woken her. It came from the kitchen.

Grabbing her robe from the foot of the bed, Marissa threw it over her shoulders and headed for her door. Stepping into the dim hallway, she could hear a rustling of some kind coming from the floor below her. She passed each of her children's bedrooms and headed, quietly, down the semi-spiral staircase. Halfway down, she peered over the banister and saw a light coming from one of the rooms on the main floor.

_Yup. Definitely the kitchen…_ she thought.

As quickly, yet as quietly and as stealth as her legs and feet could move, she walked down the final steps and crept towards the kitchen. When she peered in, she nearly stopped dead in her tracks. At the sink, pouring milk into a bowl of cereal stood a brunette, approximately 5 feet, 7 inches in height. She knew perfectly well who would be eating at this time of night. Leaning against the frame of the entry of the kitchen, Marissa smirked and coughed lightly. The brunette turned quickly and stopped at the sight of Marissa. Her mouth was full of crunchy cereal and when she tried to smile, Marissa got a perfect view of the contents in her mouth.

"Hi mama," she tried to say.

Marissa chuckled at her eldest daughter's antics and shook her head. Propping herself upwards, Marissa made her way across the kitchen and held her daughter in a tight embrace.

"Welcome home!"

Marissa pulled away only to see her daughter swallow the cereal in her mouth.

"Thanks ma… I'm sorry. I tried to be quiet."

"Yeah well, you failed at that." Marissa chuckled. "You coulda woken up your brother and your sister, Miranda."

"Yeah, I know… Like I said, I tried. I'm sorry." Miranda tried flash Marissa an innocent smile but only ended up sniggering. Marissa leaned against the counter opposite to Miranda who returned to her cereal.

"You also could have woken Tammy up."

"Bah! Like I care about Tammy… Why is she still here anyway?" She inquired, taking another spoonful.

"She's a friend and she needed a place to stay until she got back on her feet. Miranda, c'mon, you know that."

"Ma, seriously? It's been almost 9 months and she can't find a place to live? You know she's just-"

"Miranda, please?" Marissa interrupted. "It's 1 in the morning…"

Taking a deep breath, Miranda sighed and bit her bottom lip. She shook her head and conceded.

"Fine… So?" She asked as she hopped onto the counter so her legs swung freely below her. Marissa simply stood there and grinned.

"I'm so happy you're home…alive… I nearly had a heart attack when I saw you standing there."

"I told you I was trying to be quiet," Miranda whispered as she chuckled lightly.

"I know, I know…it's just…you and your mother look scarily alike from the back."

A full and genuine smile graced Miranda's delicate features. Growing up, people had always told her that her younger sister, Gabby, was the one who looked like her mom and Miranda always figured she must have looked like…well, she would never call that man her 'father.' No, he would always be a faceless and heartless nobody to her. She appreciated that her mother was always honest with her when it came to her past. For Marissa to tell her that she, at least, resembled her mother from behind was always a welcoming statement.

"And you have her heart and personality." Concluded Marissa.

"So I'm told…" Miranda's face turned sullen.

"I gather by that look on your face that you didn't find her?"

Miranda sighed and rubbed her eye.

"No… We were too late, but we know where they're headed next."

Marissa gave Miranda a look of confusion. Noticing this, Miranda hopped off of the counter and reached into the pocket of her sweater. She pulled out a piece of paper and began unfolding it. She placed it down on the counter beside Marissa.

"A map?"

Miranda nodded.

"Of Pine Valley and the towns and cities surrounding it."

Marissa took note of the various markings made by red and black ink.

"The red marks the places they've already been to and the black where they have yet to go. I dunno why, but they're staying within the boundaries of Pennsylvania. They're kinda stupid actually…they like to revisit the places they've been to already. It's like they're watching mom, but someone is watching them, keeping them here…so they could watch them."

"So, where are they headed next?"

Miranda looked from Marissa to the map and pointed at an adjacent town to Pine Valley.

"Seriously?" Marissa asked. "That close by?"

"I told you that they were stupid." Miranda moved away from the counter and leaned against the opposing one. Marissa turned to face her and crossed her arms. "Matt said that he and John were gonna go there and start mapping their location… Then they're gonna call for back-up and attack…and I'm going with them."

Marissa raised her eyebrows.

"What? No! No way. Uh uh! Not happening."

"Ma-"

"No! Miranda, I said no. Please! You promised me that this was your last…whatever it was, even if you didn't get her. Please, if Matt and John say that they got this then let them do it. Please? God knows what these morons are like. I can't let you go in there with them and put your life at risk. Just leave it up to the investigators."

Miranda saw the desperation and plea in Marissa's eyes, but despite her mother's urgent look and tone of voice, Miranda couldn't give her what she wanted.

"I can't do that… This is mom we're talking about."

"I know, but Miranda, I love you too much to let you risk your life like this. Let Matt and John handle this."

Miranda was getting frustrated. She knew she had to be with the private investigators that Erica had recommended to Marissa who she hired a couple of years ago to find Bianca, despite the closure of the case by the Pine Valley Police Department. Miranda _had_ to find a way to get through to Marissa.

"Do you remember when we found out what was going on? Huh? Mom hadn't come home that Tuesday afternoon. We couldn't file a missing person's report unless she was missing for at _least_ 48 hours. Do you remember that?"

A pain stung in Marissa's heart. How could she forget?

"Yes," whispered Marissa.

"And then only after 6 months, _6 months_ of investigation, they closed it? They declared her dead _even though_ there was no body and not one shred of evidence?"

The pain in Marissa's chest only increased with every word that Miranda spoke.

"Of course. Yes! I remember _all _of it! How can I _possibly_ forget that they just _gave up_!"

"What happened on the day of the 'funeral'? Only you and me ad a couple of other people didn't believe that mom was dead and what happened?"

Marissa turned white.

"You found her locket…"

Miranda nodded and began to calm down.

"I found her locket…"

_The weather that day did all but mirror the emotions of every single individual who would be gathered around an empty casket in an hour's time. Miranda stood outside of the house that she had lovingly called home and beneath an overly warm sun, it rays of light beating on the back of her neck, which was already drenched with sweat. Thankfully the black shirt she wore camouflaged it. The tightening grip of a small hand in hers caught her attention. She peered down at the little girl that hand belonged to. She was a year and a half at the time. She looked up at Miranda and stretched her arms, wanting to be picked up. Obliging, Miranda bent down and lifted the child in her arms, who rested her head on Miranda's shoulder._

"_Whewe momma Binx?"_

_Miranda had done everything she could possibly do to keep her tears at bay, but the innocent tone in her little sister's voice had her losing any resolve she held. Sighing, Miranda placed a gentle kiss on the child's temple and whispered, "I wish I knew, Sofia."_

_A car had pulled up to the house and a familiar face that made Miranda feel uneasy exited from it._

"_Miranda." She said as she passed._

"_Tammy." Miranda greeted her without emotion. "Looks like you and Nate are being looked after by her today…"_

_-x.x.x-_

_Marissa believed all of this to be pointless. The casket that had been lowered into the ground was empty. Why is it that most people were so quick to believe that Bianca was dead? Whatever happened to finding out the truth? Why didn't anything make sense? Then again, when does anything that happen in Pine Valley__** ever**__ make sense?_

_Marissa gazed at the screen above her on the opposing wall. She gazed upon a photo of her and Bianca taken a few weeks prior to her disappearance. It was one that she and Bianca had agreed to, to help Spike build his portfolio for a photography class that he had enrolled in. Marissa lost herself in that photo. She knew that it was taken in the park, but she and Bianca were in focus with the background blurred. The smiles on the faces of these two ladies were beyond those that described happiness or bliss. They described something so much more than a simple word. Foreheads were touching and the setting was in black and white. Unable to take it anymore, Marissa forced herself to look away from the photo and searched for Miranda. _

_She was nowhere to be seen._

_Unable to take all of the looks of sympathy from family and friends, then to add the multiple collages and slideshows, Miranda had become fed up with all of whispers and meaningless touches of pity. It had started to drown her._

_**I need air!**_

_She walked across the grounds of the cemetery with her arms crossed and stopped suddenly. Looking up to the sky, Miranda let the wind blow across her face and closed her eyes. __**Mom can't be dead…there's just no way. It doesn't feel right…**__ Miranda opened her eyes and looked to her feet and allowed her eyes to wander all around her. She knew this place._

_Looking up, Miranda recognized the large tree that she had seen multiple times when her mother had brought her along to visit her great-grandmother. She hung her head and sighed before Miranda allowed herself to walk up to the gravestone of the woman whom she was named after. Sitting down in the grass in front of the stone, Miranda spoke quietly._

"_I know that…that you and I never met…and, to be honest, it kinda sucks because my mom used to tell me stories about you and I think…I think you and I woulda been close." Miranda took a deep breath. "I know I don't have the right to ask, but if it's at all possible, could you give me a sign? Am I crazy to think that mom isn't really dead?"_

_Miranda brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them and exhaled. Maybe it was the sun's glare or the sign that she had been hoping for, but a golden gleam caught her eye as she looked past her great-grandmother's grave. Without tearing her eyes from the shimmering object, Miranda stood quickly and walked over. Bending over, Miranda reached down for the trinket in the grass and brought it to her face._

_**Oh my God…**_

_It was a locket with a broken chain, the clasp still firmly in place. Curiosity got the best of her and she opened it. Inside she saw a miniature photo of her two moms on one side and on the other her and her 4 other siblings: Gabby, AJ, Sofia and Nathan._

_**It's mom's locket.**_

"…Broken, in the grass of the Pine Valley cemetery right by her grandmother's grave site… We've worked day in and day out since then with Matt and John and it has led us here! I _have_ to go with them. Mom doesn't know who Matt and John are and she is going to need a familiar face to trust so that she will come home. Please?"

Miranda was near begging.

"I have to see this through. Please? I'll even bring AJ with me… Please?"

Marissa hugged Miranda and sighed.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you do this…not even if AJ would be with you."

Miranda hung her head as Marissa pulled away from her.

"I can't risk losing you too…"

Miranda nodded, knowing that Marissa wouldn't let up on the subject. Yawning, Miranda placed her hand on the back of her neck, took a deep breath, and brought her eyes to her mother's.

"And you won't. I swear."

Marissa enveloped Miranda into a tight embrace, propping her chin on her shoulder.

"Promise me that you won't _go_ with them?"

"Ma-"

"_Promise_ me."

"I promise." Miranda pulled away from Marissa and nodded. "I promise."

"Thank you." Smiling, she continued. "Okay, it's now 1:30 and I need to be up early."

"Meeting?" Miranda asked as she finished the minimal amount left in her bowl.

"No. Nathan and Sofia have school."

"Riiight. Wednesday." She smirked.

"Exactly! I have a meeting too but it's not 'til 11:00 and I don't have to be at the office before 10:30."

Nodding, Miranda tossed her dirty dishes into the sink and walked over to Marissa.

"Well, I'm heading to bed. G'night mom." She kissed Marissa's cheek who drew her in for another hug.

"G'night. I'm glad you're home. It was a long few weeks without you around."

When she pulled away, Miranda wore a smirk. She turned on her heel and headed out of the kitchen.

After Miranda exited the kitchen, Marissa found herself to be wide-awake. She thought of her warm, cozy bed and it made her sick. _Warm and cozy? Yeah, right! It's cold and too quiet and rigid! _Leaving the kitchen, Marissa found herself in the middle of her large hallway, looking around her silent house. Miranda's words kept coming back to her: _We were too late, but we know where they're headed next._ They knew where Bianca was. That she was alive. If she was well? That was a different question. _But she's alive. How have I spent three years like this? Without her? Have I been sleepwalking through my life this entire time?_ _Is she really coming home? God, I hope she's really coming home._

Marissa found herself walking back towards the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. _There's no way I'm falling back asleep now_, she thought. The redhead watched as the dark brown liquid filled the glass pot, cup by cup, as she leaned over the counter. When the pot was full, she poured it into a mug and allowed the aroma fill her senses.

A pair of lean, yet strong, arms encompassed her waist. She leaned against the familiar warmth of the body to whom those comforting arms belonged to. Marissa found her comfort, strength and home in those arms.

"You're still awake? You're not even gonna _try_ to sleep?"

"What's the point? You know it won't last too long."

"I'm coming home to you baby. You know I would never leave you. It was in my vows, wasn't it?"

Marissa turned around. There was no one there.

_Great. Juuuust great. Now I'm going insane… I just miss her so much._

She didn't know how, but Marissa had ended up in the family, turning the television on and popping in a home video. She couldn't spend another minute creating her wife in her mind. She missed Bianca desperately and wanted to see her. Sitting on the leather couch, she remembered how Bianca used to hold her; one arm wrapped securely and lovingly across her shoulders while she caressed her hair. Every once in a while, Bianca would press a kiss to her head and Marissa would reciprocate by kissing a spot on Bianca's hand. Coming back to reality, Marissa pushed play.

"**Is it on?"**

Marissa smirked at herself on screen.

"**Yeah, babe, it's on. I know how to work a camera. C'mon show me the birthday boy."**

**Marissa yanked Nathan from the ground and began to play with him, "flying" him into the camera while she made airplane noises. Bianca's giggling could be heard from behind the camera. Nathan's smile got wider and wider and he began to chuckle.**

"**Momma!"**

**The camera shifted to a little girl running for the camera with a 10 year old Gabby trailing behind her.**

"**And here is the birthday girl. Fia, tell mommy how old are you today?"**

**Gabby bent down beside Sofia and held her at the waist. Gabby held up a finger in front of her little sister. Sofia mimicked Gabby's actions.**

"**That's right baby girl. You're one today. And so is Nathan." Bianca said as she shifted the camera back to her where her wife had previously been playing with their little boy, who was now replaced by Miranda. "And there is my eldest daughter tickling her little brother and my son standing with my gorgeous wife."**

**AJ smirked and started towards the camera, while Marissa stood still simply glancing in Bianca's direction at the mention of her wife's declaration.**

"**Hey, why don't you let me do this? You can get in there for once." He chuckled. **

Marissa snickered as she watched the camera being given to AJ. It started shaking. When Bianca's radiant and smiling face filled the screen, the pang in Marissa's heart grew and she could feel herself stop breathing.

"**You got it bud?"**

"**Yeah mama, don't worry."**

"**Okaaay," Bianca said as she widened her eyes and smirked. She winked at the camera before turning away and headed for Miranda who was playing with Nathan. **

Marissa continued to watch her past play out before her. Tears began to roll down her face. She took a deep breath and tried to get comfortable, but couldn't seem to. Giving up, she simply lay down and wiped the moisture forming in her eyes before settling them across her abdomen. She watched as her not-so-little family surrounded her two twin angels as they attempted to blow out the candles with Sofia sitting in Gabby's lap and Nathan sharing a chair with Ian. Laughter and applause was easily heard and mutterings of the multitude of people gathered around the infants as they chorused in a verse of 'Happy Birthday.' Marissa could remember filming this portion of the video herself. As Gabby and Ian helped Sofia and Nathan blow out their candles and could see Bianca removing the cakes from in front of their children, but Kendall stopped her.

"**Nuh-uh! **_**You**_** enjoy this moment with your wife over there **_**who**_**, by the way, I just might end up smacking if she doesn't quit it with that bloody camera."**

**Bianca looked over at the camera and burst out laughing as she walked over after Kendall departed to the kitchens with the cakes in tow.**

"**Sweetie, you get that?"**

"**What, Kendall threatening me? Oh yeah!"**

"**Okay, good…look at them." The camera focused in on their 5 kids sitting all together. "And they're all ours."**

"**Yes they are…" After a few seconds, the camera was back on Bianca. "Okay you," Marissa stated. "Time for your personal message to our kids."**

"**Did you do yours yet?"**

"**Nope!"**

"**Well then, why can't we do it together?"**

Marissa saw the camera shift and shake a bit, but within seconds they were both on camera; Marissa clearly being the one who held it out in front of them for Bianca stood right behind her, arms wrapped around Marissa's waist and kissed her shoulder.

"**Babe, not on camera. The kids are probably gonna watch this," chastised Marissa, turning to look at her wife.**

"**I'm sorry, I can't help it," Bianca said, trying to put on an innocent face.**

"**It's okay, I forgive you." Marissa pecked Bianca's lips, but latched on a little too much longer than she initially meant to.**

"**And you thought I was being inappropriate?" Bianca said giggling.**

"**Will you just-"**

"**Hey Fia, Nate…" interrupted Bianca.**

Marissa hadn't heard anything after that because she had fallen asleep, dreaming about the woman she hoped she would one day see again and be able to feel her and not have it be a dream.


	2. Persuasion

Wow! I honestly was not expecting such a response. Thanks SO much for the great reviews. I hope you keep enjoying Again, it'll all clear up soon, I promise. Also, I mention a song in this chapter, which I do NOT own. So no one sue me please

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Miranda's POV**

Growing up, I always wanted to be an adult – eat what I want, when I want; go out any day of the week without a curfew; go anywhere I felt like and not have to explain where or why to anyone; make my own decisions… No one told me that all of these had a common limitation: you had to be living on your own. Yes, I sound immature. Yes, I sound spoiled. Yes, I sound like a child. Maybe I'm reverting back to my toddler years. Also, no one told me that the choices I would be able to make wouldn't be without influence. A constant tug o' war battle where either decision tried to sway me to choose between the two of them, yanking me towards them to see what they could offer me. The one offering more to me would be my obvious choice, right?

Persuasion. That's what every decision is about. When you're presented with a choice, someone or something creates a situation, forcing you to make a judgment call, hoping to steer you in the direction that **they** see is right. The more compelling their argument, the more likely you are to be tempted to perceive things as the other does…even if you don't agree with it.

"_We're different."_

"_Yeah, we are… You have two mommies."_

"_AJ's parents are divorced. His family's different too."_

"_Exactly. Exactly. That's exactly right. A lot of families are different in a lot of different ways. Now, us not being the same, it shouldn't bother anybody…but the…the sad thing is…it does. So, what do you think we should do about it? …How about…we keep being ourselves…aaand loving each other? Show them that there is nothing wrong with that?"_

"_You taught us that people should never be ashamed of who they love."_

"_That is exactly right… C'mere."_

People who master the art of persuasion are able to recognize the weaknesses of the other and play them to their advantage by bringing them to light, uncovering them from their place of repression. They paint a picture where the other can see themselves as who they wish to be, rather than who they truly are.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Mommy! Mommy, wake up!"

Marissa felt the pressure of little feet on either side of her waist while little hands held onto her shoulder. She felt the press of a tiny bottom on her stomach and she opened her eyes to find her little boy sitting on her.

"Wake up mommy. It's morning."

Marissa smirked at her babies before she widened her eyes.

"Oh my God! What time is it?"

She got up, taking Nathan with her and looked at the clock on the wall.

6:30.

"Oh, thank God! Still have another 15 minutes before my alarm woulda gone off." She looked to her two four year olds. "You two hungry?"

"Yes!"

"Yeah!"

"Okay then. Who wants…pancakes?"

The cheering of the children had settled it. _Looks like I'm making pancakes._ The excitement from Nathan and Sofia made her smile. It seemed the only people who could make her smile these days were her kids, every single one of them. She always tried to be the best mom she could possibly be and not breakdown in front of them, despite what she was truly feeling. _It's what Bianca would do and what she would want. She actually did do that for Miranda and Gabby when her and…Reese were going through their divorce and when she and I were going through the aftermath of Ricky Torres 10 years ago. I need my kids to be alright…even if I'm not._

The ongoing enthusiasm coming from her children brought Marissa out of her reverie and followed them as they ran from the family room to the kitchen. The two kids crawled onto their respective chairs; the ones they always sat at when they ate and waited patiently for their mother. When Marissa walked in, the two kids had smiles on their faces, but there was something about those smiles that had Marissa curious.

"What?"

"Can we help mommy?" Sofia asked.

She chuckled and nodded. "Of course you can."

"Hey…" said a groggy voice. "What's all the yelling about huh?"

The three heads shot in the direction of the voice by the kitchen entrance way. There stood Miranda in pajama bottoms, a tank top with her favourite purple and black hoodie with droopy and sleepy eyes. Marissa noticed that the spark in her babies' eyes returned, as both of their smiles got wider than usual.

"Oh yeah. Fia, Nate did I tell you that-"

"JUNIOR!"

"MIMO!"

The two kids ran to their older sister.

"…Miranda's home," Marissa finished.

"There they are!" Miranda scooped the two of them, one in each arm and hugged them as tightly as she could without squeezing the life out of their lungs. For the couple of weeks that she had been away from the house, she missed these little ones. She had too much fun with them. Miranda placed both children back securely on their own feet and bent down to be eye level with both of them. She growled and pulled away from her siblings. "Argh…so? How are you two doing?"

"We're gonna make pancakes!" Sofia replied.

"I looove pancakes Fia. Can I help?"

"You better!"

Sofia turned around and looked at Marissa with her big brown eyes and copper hair. Running towards her mother, arms stretched out, Marissa couldn't help but whisk Sofia off her feet and into her arms as Miranda straightened herself up, Nathan still standing by her side.

"C'mon mommy! Or else we gonna be late!"

"You're absolutely right Fia."

The two ladies took off for the stove to begin making the little family their breakfast. Miranda looked after them and leered somewhat cheerfully before she felt the small tug from a little boy on her black tank top. Looking down at Nathan, she noticed his furrowed eyebrows and look of contemplation. Curiosity getting the best of her, she kneeled down, once again before Nathan pulled her completely so she sat on the floor before him. She hugged her knees.

"What's up, little man?"

His inquisitive look never faded.

"Did you find Momma B?"

Miranda was thrown off guard. Looking into the hazel, almost gold, eyes of her youngest sibling, she sighed and gathered as much courage as she could and any words that she could muster that would allow her brother to understand what she was going to attempt to say. But nothing she would or could say would do any of the following: put his mind at ease or be stated in simplistic terms.

"Umm…well…yeah, buddy, I…I did."

Nathan's eyes lit up.

"Where is she?" He asked looking at his surroundings.

"Well…" Miranda grabbed Nathan's hand and sat him in her lap. She engulfed him into a hug and rested her cheek on the top of his head. "…I couldn't bring her home yet, Nate."

"Why?" He asked and he turned to look at her.

"It's a long story, but she'll be home soon. You'll see."

"'Cause you pwomised?"

Miranda sighed as she gave Nathan a reassuring smile.

"Exactly…exactly, 'cause I promised. And do I break my promises?"

Nathan shook his and smiled. He took a hold of Miranda's face and kissed her cheek. He got up from her lap and turned to look at her. "C'mon Junior. Mommy's making pancakes!"

Miranda giggled at the use of his nickname for her as he headed towards the smell of chocolate chip pancakes. _Junior._ The day that Miranda, AJ, and Gabby found out that Marissa was pregnant; Miranda had never been so excited in her life. When her mother became pregnant with Gabby, she felt like she didn't give her little sister the justice she deserved when it came to excitement. She was too young to understand what exactly was happening, even though she was still extremely happy that she would be getting a little brother or sister at the time. She was older and more perceptive when her moms decided to add another to the family and, this time around, she would be the greatest big sister she possibly could. Miranda and Sofia were close in that Sofia always looked for her older sister and they played together for hours on end. However, Nathan and Miranda shared a bond that, Miranda thought, no one truly understood. From an external observer, they couldn't be less alike: polar opposites in every sense. However, if Marissa and Bianca were nowhere to be found, Nathan would always look for Miranda. Maybe it was Miranda's constant presence or her inability to be dishonest with him or the one common thing they shared, curiosity, which brought them closer than two siblings possibly could be.

Nathan had begun to call Miranda 'Junior' not too long after his fourth birthday. He had overheard Kendall and Miranda speaking and Kendall had casually slipped in that Miranda was a junior version of Bianca and picked up the nickname from Kendall, who had also begun to call Miranda 'Junior.' She didn't mind in the slightest.

Miranda rose from her spot on the cold, tiled floor and entered the kitchen to plates being filled with pancakes and fruit, her favourite, and a large mug of coffee, which she eagerly accepted as she leaned against the counter watching Nathan and Sofia eat their breakfast and guzzle down their milk.

"Sorry if we woke you up." Marissa said. Miranda only grinned.

"Nah. I set my alarm so I could be up before you. I guess they got to you before I did."

Marissa gave Miranda an inquisitive look. "Why did you wanna be up before me?"

"Well, I came down to get some water around 2:00 this morning and saw the TV on and you watching home videos… I figured you'd be tired. The least I could do after waking you up in the middle of the night is let you sleep and let me take care of the youngsters over here," she said as she nodded her head towards the 4 year olds. "…Like normal Wednesdays. Actually, why don't you go back to sleep and I'll get them ready and off to school?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I always used to do it. Why should my being away for a couple of weeks throw us off? I'll even pick 'em up and cook dinner-"

"Good morning!"

The cheery voice that had made itself known made Miranda cringe. Turning, she noticed a blonde enter the kitchen ruffling Nathan's hair and giving a small squeeze to Sofia's little shoulder.

"Miranda…you're…home?" She questioned, a subtle hint of dismay evident in her voice.

_No, I'm a ghost. My spirit is here for fun!_

"Yes, Tammy. I am. I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"Miranda," Marissa said, a warning tone in her voice. Miranda backed off of the counter and turned to Nathan and Sofia.

"C'mon guys. Time to get ready for school. Mom," she said turning to Marissa, "you go get that sleep. I got these two."

The three of them exited the kitchen and took off for the stairs. As they ran up them, it turned into a playful game of tag, Miranda chasing the two little ones into the bathroom to get their teeth brushed and faces washed. As they entered their bedroom, Sofia ran to her drawers and pulled out the clothes she wanted to wear while Nathan jumped onto his bed and pulled his socks on that were sitting on the foot of it.

"So? You two gonna tell me what's new?"

Sofia had gone off on a rant about her teacher and how she was going to have a baby soon, followed by the intricate details of learning how to colour inside the lines. Nathan followed with an extravagant conveyance of his and AJ's latest Wii boxing matches as he pulled a sweater over his head, losing himself only momentarily before asking Miranda to help him.

"What about Tammy?" Miranda questioned as she pulled down the hem of Nathan's sweater passed his torso.

"She's going to see her mommy," Sofia eagerly replied.

"Really?"

"Yup," Nathan said. "Mommy told me and Fia."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda had gotten her brother and sister to school just in the nick of time, as usual. She had so many things that she needed to do throughout the course of the day and figured she should start as soon as she dropped the kids off at their classroom. Her first stop was the Miranda Center.

For the last two weeks Erica Kane had been running the center in Miranda's absence. After Bianca's disappearance, Marissa had decided to pay for Miranda's post-secondary education when the time had come, but Miranda refused to let Marissa pay for it and decided that, until she had saved enough money, she would hold off on the college experience, even though she had visited the all ages pub by the university occasionally, especially when AJ's band played there from time to time.

Ever since she turned 14, Miranda had spent a great deal of time at the Miranda Center with her mother, observing what the center did for as many women and children as they could, by any means and watched how her mother ran the place where most battered women had sought refuge. When Miranda was 15, her mother had disappeared and the center was left without anyone to care for it. By age 16, Miranda knew everything there was to know about the center…with the help of Erica Kane, who had stepped up as chair of the Miranda Center. Graduating from high school, Miranda was 18 and immediately went from the classroom to aiding Erica in running the center with plans and ideas for expansion.

Exiting her car, Miranda walked into her destination and headed immediately for the head office where she knew she would find the one she was looking for. As she stepped through the doors of the main office, the receptionist had just hung up the phone. Leaning over the desk, Miranda smiled as she greeted the one on the other side.

"Hey Denise."

"Miss Montgomery. You're back!"

"'Miss Montgomery?'"

"I'm sorry. Miranda. Your…Erica has had me be formal for the last couple of weeks."

"Ah, I see. Well, you don't need to be formal with me. You've watched me grow up so, no worries." She pointed to the closed door. "Is she in?"

Following her finger, Denise nodded. "Of course. Go on in."

"Thanks."

Miranda walked into the office without knocking and closed the door behind her. Looking up, Erica Kane smiled.

"Miranda!"

"Hi," she smiled. Erica had risen, gracefully, from her seat and walked to embrace Miranda.

"How are you sweetheart?" She asked as she pulled away and gestured the younger one to sit down.

"I'm okay. Exhausted, but okay. How about you? How are things going around here?"

"As well as they could be going…" Erica didn't want to put her granddaughter in an awkward position, but she felt compelled to ask. "…How was the…umm…the search?"

Miranda fidgeted with her fingers and took a deep breath before replying. "She's alive. We found her, but they were gone by the time we got there."

Erica had breathed a sigh of relief.

"And now Matthew and Jonathan are in the process of relocating them and advancing on the whole 'rescue' in a few days time. I kinda wanted to go with them, but mom said no."

"And Marissa is right. Let them deal with it."

"If you were me, would you 'let them deal with it'?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa had managed to get an extra hour of sleep before she had jolted awake from the same dream she had previously that night. It felt real this time. She could feel Bianca's hand on her waist, she could smell the familiar scent that would drive her crazy in a matter of seconds, but it all disappeared the instant her eyes opened. Reality would yank her, cruelly, away from the only place she wanted to be, fighting to stay asleep, keeping her eyes closed until Marissa would finally realize that the light of day had won the round. Reluctantly, she got up and wandered around her empty house, first stopping by Sofia and Nathan's bedroom to make their beds only to find them made. She passed Gabby and Miranda's empty room and the one that had once belonged to AJ before he decided to move out and live on his own. As she headed for the stairwell, Marissa heard a relaxed knock at her front door.

Trotting down the stairs, Marissa crossed her arms and then heard the annoyingly loud chime of the doorbell. Who she found behind the door only brought a smile to her face.

"AJ!"

"Hey mom," he said before stepping through the threshold and engulfing her into a hug, towering over her by a foot.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have classes?"

Pulling away, AJ chuckled. "Nice to see you too."

"Oh, shut up. You know what I meant." Marissa closed the door.

"Ma, it's the middle of February. It's midterm time. Besides, it's Wednesday. I don't have classes until noon. It's only 9:00." He said as he followed his mother into the kitchen, sitting at the island where only hours before, his younger siblings had vacated the area.

"I'm well aware of that. I'm just surprised, that's all."

"Well…Miranda called me-"

"Oh crap-"

"-And she said you spent half the night watching home videos… You okay?"

"I'm as okay as can be expected."

"I'm sorry mom."

Marissa shrugged. "I'll survive." Marissa changed the subject, unable to talk about Bianca anymore. "You hungry? There's leftover pancakes."

AJ shook his head. "Nah. I ate before I came over. Thanks though."

"Okay," Marissa said as she smiled at her son. The phone rang, all of a sudden, and Marissa held up a finger to answer it.

As his mother spoke on the phone to, who he assumed was her secretary, he began to roam around the house he once called home. When AJ got his acceptance letter to PVU he felt that it would be the best time to move out and live on his own. Throughout high school he had done a number of odd jobs while working the summers at Chandler Enterprises and hoped to take over the company one day. He saved up enough money to pay for his tuition and found a cozy, one bedroom apartment a couple of blocks away from the university. He walked into the family room, hands in his jean pockets, and noticed the large, framed photo of the two women who had come to mean so much in his life, influencing him in the best ways possible, and making him believe that anything he wanted in the world could be his as long as he tried. Surrounding the photo were a multitude of smaller ones, each homing various photographs of him and his siblings.

"AJ?"

AJ turned as watched as Marissa walked up to him. He pointed to the photos.

"Best one in the house," he said as he smirked.

"Agreed."

"Mama Binx made this…whole…thingy, didn't she?"

Marissa chuckled. "Yeah. It's got her written all over it."

"Yeah… Y'know, I don't remember this picture being taken." AJ said as he pointed to the center photo. Marissa gazed at it and smiled. She and Bianca were surrounded by fresh fallen snow, a view of an intimate cottage in the background. The two of them were laughing and sitting in snow. Bianca lay in front of Marissa, in her lap, laughing. Marissa, laughing equally as hard, held Bianca in her arms and had her nose buried in Bianca's cheek.

"It was on our honeymoon. I loved that week. We-"

"Yeah, mom, doooon't want the details."

Marissa chuckled and tousled his hair, which he moved away from.

"Ma, c'mon! Not the hair." AJ smiled. "Well…I better get going. I'm sure you gotta get to the office. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

Marissa touched AJ's shoulder. "I'm fine, sweetie."

"Okay."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Miranda, I understand. Trust me, I understand. I would go there myself-"

"So you see where I-"

"But it's not my place. Just like it's not yours. Tell me, how would your mother feel if she knew that you were risking your life to get her home when you _knew_ that there were perfectly capable people of getting her, safely, out of there?"

Miranda eyed Erica, knowing perfectly well that every single word that was coming out of her mouth was completely and utterly true, despite what she sincerely believed was the right decision.

"She'd yell at me…shake me by the shoulders then not know whether to cry because I'm okay or scream because she's upset with me."

"Exactly, so, it's settled. Marissa's right and you're not going anywhere."

"How did you-?"

"I know how to speak '18 year old girl'."

Miranda smirked before nodding and giggled lightly. _I know when I'm right. Erica Kane: Master Persuader. I'm pretty sure it runs in this family's blood, _Miranda thought before the two ladies dove into a conversation about the Miranda Center's upcoming banquet, celebrating the opening of the newest addition to the Center.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

The meeting had run longer than she had anticipated and Marissa was exhausted. As she returned to her office, she gazed at the clock on the wall.

1:30.

She had been in that meeting for over two hours and just needed to be alone in her head for a few minutes. Marissa closed the door behind her and plopped herself in her chair, closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. There was a soft knock at her door before her assistant popped her head in.

"Sorry to interrupt you Mrs. Tasker, but you have a few messages."

Marissa gave her a kind smile and thanked her. From the pile of messages that sat in front of her, her eyes wandered to the photos of her family that were situated on her desk. They then roamed to the one of her and Bianca. Ironically enough, it was a smaller version of the one they had in the family room of their home. AJ was right – it is the best picture of the two of them. Picking the frame up, Marissa traced Bianca's face and allowed herself to get lost, yet again.

"_Okay, I __**know**__ you wanted to surprise me, but is the blindfold necessary?" Bianca asked as Marissa guided her up a number of steps. Bianca had been blindfolded ever since their car had gotten on the highway, at which point, Bianca wasn't complaining because of the way Marissa had…"diverted" her from asking questions…_

"_Yes, it is," Marissa said breathlessly as she stopped the two of them, turning to face her new wife. "You're always the one pulling out all the romantic stops. It's my turn."_

"_Babe, you don't have to do this."_

"_You don't even know what __**this**__ is __**and**__ I __**know**__ I don't __**have**__ to do this. I __**want**__ to. Now, will you let me do this for you?" _

_Before Bianca could reply, Marissa placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, peppering them, lengthily, downwards stopping at the corner of Bianca's mouth before whispering, "please?" The hitching sound of Bianca's breath had Marissa smiling before landing her lips directly on Bianca's, losing all resolve. Bianca replied, eagerly, and wrapped her arms around Marissa's waist, delving her tongue, sucking on Marissa's bottom lip. Before getting herself too lost, Marissa pulled away, reluctantly, only to hear a groaning Bianca who, Marissa had to admit, looked hysterical with the blindfold on._

"_Argh…fine. But you owe me __**big**__ time, Tasker."_

_Leaning upwards, Marissa took Bianca by the neck and whispered, lightly, into her ear. "Tasker-Montgomery."_

_Releasing her wife, Marissa turned around and unlocked the door, kicking it open before taking Bianca by the waist and lifting her upwards._

"_AHH! MARISSA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Marissa chuckled._

"_It's called carrying you across the threshold."_

"_But I can't SEE! Have you __**any**__ idea how scary this is!"_

_Marissa placed Bianca, firmly, on her feet._

"_You really ought to warn a girl before you sweep her off her feet…especially when she's blind…" Marissa smirked, unbeknownst to Bianca._

"_Please tell me you understand the irony of what you just said?" Marissa began to chuckle as soon as she heard Bianca snicker._

"_Okay. I'm going to take your hands-" Marissa said, mocking Bianca because of what she said about needing to tell when she'd do something to move her._

"_Oh shut up!"_

_Marissa giggled and led her a few steps ahead. She stopped the two of them and let go of Bianca's hands and circled her form, stopping directly behind her. She raised her hands to the knot on the back of Bianca's blindfold._

"_You ready?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Yeeees."_

"_Positive?"_

"_Oh my God, Marissa!" Marissa laughed._

"_Okay, okay. 1…2…3!"_

_Marissa removed the blindfold from Bianca's eyes, which widened as she stared out the wall length window at the view of the neat, white blanket that covered every inch of the ground and was sprinkled all over the arms and tops of the evergreen trees that surrounded the elevated property. The snow sparkled in the light of the fading sun as it peered through the branches of the deciduous trees and began to set on the horizon._

"_Oh my God. Marissa," Bianca said as she spun around, but Marissa was not behind her. She was locking the door as their bags had appeared across the room by the fireplace, courtesy of their driver. Marissa tossed her jacket over the arm of the couch, turned and leaned against the door as she noticed that Bianca was no longer looking out the window, but at her, walking towards her, taking her coat off along the way and tossed it onto the chair tucked in at the table._

"_You like it?" Marissa asked. Bianca only nodded as she continued her walk. "It's a beautiful view isn't it?"_

"_**That**__ I can definitely vouch for…" Bianca said finally stopping directly in front of Marissa, never taking her eyes off of her and pinning her against the door with her torso, squeezing the exposed flesh from the small rise in her sweater before smirking. Marissa felt her mouth dry up and the immediate increase of her heart rate had sent a crimson blush creeping to her face. Bianca leaned forward, ever so slightly, grazing her nose with Marissa's; she could see how quickly her wife had shut her eyes. _

"_You know __**Mrs**__. Tasker-Montgomery…you owe me…"_

_Marissa only nodded. Keeping her eyes closed, she leaned forward, skimming Bianca's lips with her own. _

"_And I think I should collect…" Bianca replied, keeping her mouth barely against Marissa's, yet close enough so that when she spoke, she could scrape those intoxicating lips with her own._

"_Right…" was all Marissa could muster, growing impatient and soon, she felt a cold rush and opened her eyes to find that Bianca had moved to the other side of the room, searching her purse and pulling her phone from it._

"_Wh-…what?" Marissa asked confused and disappointed._

_Bianca, smirking, looked up and waved her cell phone. _

"_I'm gonna call the kids…"_

"_Oh, you're __**dead**__ Montgomery!" Marissa said before she ran towards Bianca who had sprinted down the narrow hallway of the cottage and into the room that she could only assume would be their bedroom for the next ten days. Running to one side of the bed, Bianca rolled over it to the other side when Marissa had chased her around it and back out the door into the hallway. Coming back to the main room, Marissa dove for Bianca's legs, inevitably tripping her onto the couch. The two rolled off of it and onto the carpeted floor. Marissa gained the upper hand, straddling Bianca's waist, fighting her for the phone. Bianca was putting up a good fight, keeping the phone held in her clutches and wiggling her hips to sway Marissa in odd directions, but began to fail when Marissa's agile hands went for her wife's stomach, tickling her. Bianca's giggles were like music to Marissa's ears, but finally, she took hold of the cell phone and held it away from Bianca._

"_No! No calling the kids. Your mother will have our heads on silver platters before we even get home and besides, she texted me when we got here that they had conked out already and not to worry or call them." _

_Bianca replied panting lightly. "How did she know we got here?"_

"_I text her when you were blindfolded and in the car."_

"_Oh…okay then." Bianca lay on her back as she watched Marissa tossed her phone onto the couch and saw her opportunity._

_Bianca grabbed Marissa's torso, wrapping her arms around her and flipped their positions, placing Marissa on her back as she squealed with laughter. Grabbing Marissa's hands, Bianca intertwined their fingers and pinned them above her head, laying them flat on the floor before leaning down for a forceful, energetic kiss. The taste of the other's tongue, the light gnawing of lips sent both of their minds and bodies into an urgent and hungry frenzy, the tension from their previous, insatiate encounter by the door finally beginning to be satisfied. Bianca felt Marissa's clasp around her hands tighten, as if she may drift away and the bend of Marissa's knee rising between her legs. Bianca pulled away, only slightly, completely out of breath. _

"_Montgomery-Tasker…"_

"_What?" Marissa muttered against Bianca's lips, ardently wishing she could savour them entirely once more._

_Bianca pulled away a little further._

"_You called me 'Montgomery.' It's 'Montgomery-Tasker' and it always will be."_

_Marissa smiled a tremendous smile and craned her neck upwards, capturing her wife's lips in a fervent kiss, placing her hands on either side of Bianca's face. "I love you," she whispered._

Marissa shook her head at the persistent ringing in her ears, only to realize that the phone had been the source of her aggravation. Taking a deep breath, she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey mom…"

"Gabby! How are you sweetie?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Hey you two! C'mon! No fighting!"

Miranda had picked up Sofia and Nathan from school and the three of them had settled on the idea of making pizza for dinner. Currently, her little brother and sister were arguing as to whether or not pepperoni should be an option.

"Why not?"

"It's gwoss Nafan!"

Miranda smirked and chortled before swooping both children in either arm and swung them around before setting the pair of them down.

"Okay! NOW that I have your attention, pepperoni will go on only _half_ of one pizza because we're only making two pizzas and Nathan, I'm pretty sure that you're the only one who likes pepperoni."

Nathan crossed his arms unsatisfied and pouted. "Momma Binx like peppewoni." Miranda grinned.

"Yes, she did…okay, tell you what. When Momma Binx comes home, we'll make a big pepperoni pizza for just you and her. Is that okay?"

Nathan's frowning pout quickly turned into a large smile, showing every single one of his tiny teeth.

"Okay then. Time to wash our hands."

"Hot-blooded first!" Sofia exclaimed full of excitement. Miranda tried her best to hide her smile at Fia's enthusiasm but failed miserably. She headed for the stereo in the family room.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Kendall Hart-Slater pulled into the long driveway of her sister and her sister-in-law's home. When she returned to the Fusion office at 3:00, she was informed that Miranda had come to visit her and then received a phone call from her mother. It was then that she had decided the pay her niece a visit. Using the key that Bianca and Marissa had given her, Kendall let herself into the house only to hear Foreigner's classic song "Hot-blooded" blaring throughout the house and when she reached the kitchen, she saw Miranda, Sofia and Nathan dancing around, sliding across the tiled floor and using their air guitars to coincide with that coming out of the speakers in the other room. Kendall could do nothing but laugh at the scene playing out before her. Miranda, who had slid, on her knees, air guitar in hand, into the tips of her aunt's shoes and looked up at Kendall, completely embarrassed, finally noticed her presence. Using the remote, Miranda stuck her hand out the entrance of the kitchen and turned the music off.

"Hey! MIMO! C'moooon!" Sofia whined.

"Sorry guys, aunt Kendall's here…why don't you guys go play?"

The kids, dejectedly, obeyed their sister and greeted Kendall with hugs and kisses before heading to their bedroom to play.

"Welcome home Junior."

"I take it that you're aware of my visit to Fusion today?"

"What? No hug?"

"Sorry." Miranda hugged her aunt. "I'm sorry that I came when you weren't there today."

"Oh, don't worry about it…my mom called me, you know."

Miranda laughed as she made her way to the counter and began to pull groceries out of the bags so she could begin chopping the vegetables she'd need to make the pizza.

"That I figured… So, are you gonna give me the same speech that I've received twice already?"

Kendall scrunched up her face. "Nah. I assume you don't need that one again…but I am here to ask you _why_ you feel that it's necessary that it be _you_ who goes with the detectives…"

Sighing, Miranda crossed her arms and leaned back against the sink.

"Simply put? I'm the reason these so-called investigators got as far as they did. I know every ounce of this case and mom needs a familiar face to trust because I'm sure she doesn't know who Matt and John are. And they're bringing backup that aren't PVDP. They won't be in a uniform and she might freak out and refuse to be brought anywhere else… I just want to be sure that she won't be alone and has someone there that she trusts and can comfort her and reassure her… She's my mom, aunt Kendall…"

Kendall nodded, contemplatively.

"I thought you'd say that…which is why I'm gonna go in your place."

"I can't ask you to do that-"

"You're not. I'm offering…no, I'm saying! I'm gonna go in your place."

"Why would you do that? What about Zach? Spike? Ian? Little Bianca? You have a three year old at home. She needs her mom. What if something happens to you?"

"So, you should go instead? It's your life for everyone else's? You're only 18. How were you even able to go with those guys in the first place?"

"I can be very persuasive-"

"Well, so can I! You don't worry about your uncle Zach and your cousins. Nothing's gonna happen to me. You give me all the info you have and tell me everything you know and I'll go."

Miranda looked at Kendall. She was serious. But no matter how she looked at it, Miranda felt that she was the one who needed to be there, but she also knew that, unless she lied and snuck away to do this, she wouldn't win in convincing her family to go. Sighing, she admitted defeat to herself and nodded.

"Okay…okay, fine. I'll give and tell you everything."

"Okay-"

"On one condition…"

"What's that?" Kendall asked cautiously.

"On the way back…you meet me halfway…"


	3. Trapped

Hey! I'm REALLY happy with the response this is getting and I know there are a lot of questions and I'm glad you're asking them and I hope you keep them coming because they tell me that you're interested. So thank you! Some of you have asked me if Binx will be making an appearance any time soon and my answer MOST DEFINITELY! As for her POV, once again, YES it WILL be coming and soon…very soon ;)

ALSO this is probably one of the most important if not the most important of chapters

**Warning: Bianca's rape content and may get a bit disturbing**

Enjoy!

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Bianca's POV**

Have you ever woken up…I suppose…from sleeping and didn't know where you were? You take in your surroundings and realize that this was _definitely not_ where you remembered falling asleep. And then…then you remember that you didn't fall asleep. You were forced into it. It came on so suddenly. You try so hard to remember what happened before everything in your field of vision faded from you and succumbed to the darkness. Any of the pain that you had felt before you blacked out was, all of a sudden, gone…or so you thought. Sometimes things are so vivid, even in sleep. All it takes is a single image to set off that trigger, the little flash that stimulates that gut-wrenching feeling of fear and anxiety and it jolts you awake. You realize where you are and you still don't know how you got there. And then you remember why you feel this way…like there's no escape. You feel…lost…trapped.

"_Bianca, get up and dance!"_

_What else was I supposed to do? I was scared. I felt cold and unsafe. Maybe I shouldn't have listened to him, but the power behind his forceful voice sent an unfriendly chill down my spine and I feared for my life…so I listened. I walked over to him and allowed him to wrap his arms around me._

"…_There you go. Now, if you just close your eyes and use your imagination, you can even pretend I'm Lena."_

_I breathed heavily. His hand began to wander from my waist, around to my back, under my shirt…and ran its course upwards._

"_Just relax…just relax, give yourself over to the moment. Ahh, Bianca, you are just so incredibly beautiful…"_

_There was a storm. Lightening flashed and I could feel the danger surrounding me. It began to suffocate me. In a flash of light, I could see the tools for the fireplace. He pulled away._

"_And I could make you forget all about Lena if you just let me…"_

_His hands ran up my arms and caressed my neck gently…I felt sick. I had to get away from him. I tried so hard to find the words…I was stumbling._

"_Heh…h-I…you are…so right Michael…" I sighed and smirked while his fingers ran a soft trail up and down my arms. "…Why would I ever want a woman…when I could have somebody like you?" I backed away a bit. I had a part to play. "God…heh…what a man…what…power… Look what you have to offer…" I was far enough away from him to attack. "Pure, unadulterated…hate! You hate everyone who has what you lack. You hate me-"_

"_You better stop-"_

"_Because I accept who I am, because I love who I am and __**that**__ gives me the courage to love whoever I want. That gives me strength and passion and makes me feel alive! Do you have any idea how that feels? No, you don't! You-"_

"_You better stop-"_

"_-Have no idea. You don't know desire, you don't know courage, you don't know how to love because you're not a man! You're not even a human being! Y-"_

"_Y'know what?"_

"_You're an empty, pathetic shell-"_

"_You better just __**shut up!**__ SHUT UP!"_

_He came at me. Grabbed my hair. I pushed it._

"_Stupid, self-righteous bitch!"_

"_Get out! Get out! Ahh!"_

_I was on my back. He was on me. I wouldn't give up. I lifted my leg and kicked him off of me with every pump of adrenaline that coursed through my veins. He was hurled across the room, far enough so I could grab that fire poker. When I saw him try to get up, I whacked him with it and he fell in a clump on the floor and I dropped my weapon._

"_Okay…just get out of here…" I said to myself. I headed for the door, but tripped. I crawled across the floor and reached for the lock. I panicked and tried, desperately, to open that door and just get out of there. It wasn't working. I jiggled it, whispering frantic rants. _

_Nothing._

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa-"_

"_Ahh!"_

_He took a hold of me._

"_It's okay," he said and pushed me backwards._

_I stumbled a bit…tossing anything I could between us. I had to get away from him. He only kept at his advances. He read my actions without a hitch of trouble, watching me, like he knew he would win. I tried to run._

"_You're not going anywhere."_

"_No-" He had a hold of me. "Please, please, don't-"_

"_Shut up!"_

I am lost. I am trapped.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Kendall always knew that her niece was intellectual. Never receiving anything short of an A- in any subject on her report card, it was easy to assume that her niece had definitely received her mother's brain. However, Kendall was never certain about Miranda's wisdom when it came to dealing with the real world. She knew better than to assume that Miranda had an ulterior motive in her part of Bianca's retrieval, but Kendall had yet to be convinced of that much. Despite her better judgment, she had to question Miranda.

"What do you mean 'meet you halfway'?"

Miranda took a deep breath and gave Kendall a look that was hard to describe in a single word. It was a mixture of worry and discomfort, dashed into the main constituent of the torture of knowing something and not being able to say what it was. Kendall knew that look. Bianca had worn that look too many times for Kendall to forget. Something was eating away at Miranda.

"Miranda, what is it?"

Miranda remained silent.

"Miranda…what aren't you telling me?"

"Aunt Kendall…do you…notice anything different about me?" Miranda said, opening her arms.

Kendall stepped back, leaned her head and ran her eyes over her niece, examining her appearance. Her eyes were adorned with violet circles from the obvious exhaustion. Her usually neat hair was tied back into a disheveled ponytail, bangs falling in front of her eyes in an unkempt fashion. Miranda wore faded jeans that were too big for her legs, sitting awkwardly on her hips and a fitted and burgundy hoodie. To Kendall, Miranda looked almost sick and the semi-paler than usual complexion only provided further evidence of Kendall's thought.

"You look worn out."

"Okay, that's obvious. And I _am_ dead tired, but what else?"

Kendall was at a loss…

"I really don't know."

"How about this: I'm wearing a sweater…?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

As a child, Gabrielle Montgomery usually just 'went with the flow' of things that occurred in her life. There wasn't much else that she could do. No one, except her mother, really understood what she was saying when she tried to speak about her feelings of disappointment or sadness. Usually she could convey things with just a look and anyone could see that she was 'sad.' At which point, they would casually slip in a "what's wrong?" and slip their arms around her and hold her close. Not Marissa. When her mother and Marissa first started dating, Gabrielle felt an instant connection to her mother's new girlfriend. She wasn't like anyone else. She wasn't like her aunt Kendall who would ask her mother what was wrong instead of asking her directly. Marissa wasn't like her 'grandmother' who, even though she showed affection and a substantial amount of it, was reserved in her own way. And as for Reese? Well, she was hardly around now that Gabby thought about it. Sure, she would listen to her mother telling her and Miranda that momma Reese loved them and was working hard so that she could give them everything they wanted, but what Gabby wanted, Reese couldn't give her with cash.

Marissa was different. Marissa wasn't like the rest of them.

Marissa knew how to talk to her…much like the same way her mother spoke to her. She wouldn't stop at asking the simple questions. She would be genuinely interested in what Gabby had to say as a child. She spoke to Gabby like Gabby needed to be spoken to, like she wanted to be spoken to. Marissa asked all of the right questions, putting a comment or two in when she thought it was appropriate and _always_ listened to what Gabby was truly saying. Marissa was the only one who hadn't hurt her and the added bonus of never hurting her mother.

When Marissa and Bianca had made it official and tied the knot, Gabby would sometimes look around her and notice that she was alone. Miranda and AJ were best friends…truly twins after the wedding and her mom had Marissa. So, she would sometimes feel left out, but Marissa was always there along with her mom. The two of them could spend hours together playing or watching movies and Gabby would be perfectly okay and happy. When Nathan and Sofia were born, Gabby was afraid it would all change and she'd be alone again…Marissa proved her wrong then. Gabby was and always would be special to Marissa and vice versa.

"Gabby! How are you sweetie?" Marissa asked, suddenly perking up.

"I'm good. Just finished writing a test."

"How'd it go?"

"I think I did okay. Umm…how's everything over there?"

"They're okay. Everyone here misses you and I, for one, am wondering when you're coming home. I sometimes wonder why you let me talk you into attending that private boarding school."

Gabby felt guilty asking Marissa to go away for high school especially after everything she had done for her, but Gabby felt like she couldn't be around Pine Valley. Not like this. Marissa had tried everything in convincing Gabby to stay, promising that things would get better…promising that Bianca would come home. Gabby couldn't deal with it. She didn't want to deal with it. The Montgomery girl was firm in her decision and simply hoped that Marissa would understand and do this one, last thing for her. And Marissa, reluctantly, let Gabby go.

"I feel better down here…sometimes. I miss you all though."

Marissa leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"When are you coming home again?"

"Soon…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"'I'm wearing a sweater'?" Kendall repeated. "Umm, because it's February and _cold_ outside?"

"Aunt Kendall, when have I _ever simply_ worn a sweater? I get so warm all the time."

Kendall raised her eyebrows then furrowed them.

Miranda was right.

"Okay, I'm going to say this again Junior, and you _better_ not keep giving me riddles or answering my question with a question… What are you not telling me?"

Miranda bit her bottom lip, took a deep breath and released it.

"Okay, but you tell _no_ one, understand? No one can know about this and I'm only telling you because you're going in my place."

"Fine. Spill."

"Okay. Well, when I came home this morning, I told mom that we didn't get to mom in time. That they were gone…I lied."

"Miranda-"

"Please…let me tell you everything before you lecture me and, and yell at me for how stupid I am…"

Kendall remained silent, but stared her niece down, never blinking.

"Thank you… We, uh, we spent days mapping this place out. They kept her in this warehouse with a basement…I figured out where she was and the funny thing is, I don't even know _how_ I thought to look for a basement. Once we had everything figured out, we planned our…attack I guess you can say. I had one job: get mom _out_ of that warehouse…by any means necessary. So, we spent that day in a back lot behind this miniature forest that we would cross when it was dark. I went off on my own, found this small door that led to the basement and when I got there…"

Miranda stopped talking and took a deep breath. _C'mon Miranda, just say it…_ Kendall touched her niece's arm in a comforting manner.

"…When I found her, oh God, she was crouched in this corner, shivering. It was _freezing_ in that room. Her hair was all over the place. She had dried bloodstains on her wrists from how tightly she was tied up and she was b-blindfolded and when I saw her I just…I-I just wanted to scream and kill them all with my own hands. I-I tried…_so_ hard to be as quiet as I could…but I guess I wasn't as quiet as I thought because she heard me…"

"_Who's there!"_

_Miranda froze, trying so hard not to seem as if she would hurt Bianca in any way. She tried not to breathe so loudly._

"_I know someone's there! What's happening! Who are you?"_

_The room was dimly lit and any additional lighting came from the full moon that crept through the tiny window above Bianca's head. Miranda stood still in the middle of the basement, listening for any movement that would cause either of them harm._

"_Please? Whoever's there, please say something…"_

_Miranda began to tear up. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she went to her mother. She was in a near sprint, but she stopped suddenly, a few feet away from Bianca, when she saw it. She had heard her rapid dash and took it as an attack. Miranda noticed how Bianca's arms had been raised to cover her face and how she crouched and curled into a ball to shield her body. Miranda, gently, took a few steps and dropped to her knees. Taking a deep breath, she extended her hand and touched her mother's bruised face, trying eagerly not to heave at what they had done to her. As soon as Miranda's hand rested on Bianca's cheek, the shiver that had overtook her body had somewhat calmed. This wasn't a touch of aggression, but one of compassion._

"_Wh-who are you?" Bianca asked._

"_I…I'm going to remove this," Miranda said, feeling the fabric covering Bianca's eyes. "But you have to promise not to scream, okay? I'm here to help you. I-I'm…I'm here to get you out of here…and back home…"_

_Bianca nodded and Miranda took it as a sign to remove it. When she gazed upon the brown eyes hidden beneath the violet waves of fresh bruises mixed with the yellowing stains of those healing, Miranda took her mother's face in her hands and lifted them to meet hers in a tender manner. Fresh tears formed in Miranda's eyes, happiness mixed with sadness, fear and anger._

"_Hi," Miranda said._

_Bianca remained silent, confusion written all over her face, regarding this girl in front of her as foreign._

"_Umm…h-hi… Umm…wh-who…what's…what's your name?"_

"_Ehm…" Miranda struggled. She felt frozen. She pushed through the shock, trying to remain strong. "I'm Miranda…"_

Kendall didn't know what to say. For once in her life, she was at a loss for words. Miranda stared at her, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, I know. That's the same look I had when she asked…" Miranda said, using the sleeve of her sweater to wipe the tear that had fallen out of place.

"So…so you had her? Wait…you _had_ her and you just _left_ her there?"

"No… No _I_ didn't leave her there."

"What? What happened?"

"Well…I was in so much shock that I didn't hear someone sneak up behind me until mom yelled. Someone had taken a swung at me. I ducked just in time. I dunno _how_ I did it, but I managed to knock them out and when I looked at mom, she couldn't stop staring at the body on the floor. Then she looked at me...scared. I didn't know what to do and, next thing I know, Matt is yelling for me, I'm hearing screaming dudes and a gunshot.

"_SPARROW! LET'S GO! C'MON!"_

_Miranda remained on her knees in front of Bianca who only continued to stare at her – in contemplation? With fear? In awe? Miranda couldn't pinpoint what she saw, but as soon as the gunshot was fired, Miranda dove for her mother, covering her with her body. Miranda turned to look at a tall, muscular man who she had been previously introduced to. His name was Bruce. _

"_Sparrow! What the hell! We gotta get out of here! Leave her," Bruce demanded._

_Miranda stood and turned to face him._

"_You're __**insane**__ if you think I'm gonna leave her here!"_

"_We'll come back, but right now, we gotta get out of here! We'll die if we don't!"_

"_I'm __**not**__ leaving her here!"_

"_What part of 'we'll die' did you __**not**__ understand?"_

_Miranda was growing frustrated._

"_And what part of 'I'm not leaving her here' did __**you**__ not understand? I'm __**not **__leaving __**without**__ her!"_

_Before Miranda could move, Bruce had grabbed her, scooping Miranda over his shoulder, yanking her from the ground. _

"_WHAT THE HELL! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN! WE CAN'T LEAVE HER HERE! I WON'T LEAVE HER HERE! YOU SON OF A BITCH, PUT ME DOWN! I HAVE TO GET HER!"_

_Miranda kicked Bruce in his hard chest, which didn't faze him. He kept walking and Miranda kept swinging her legs, trying to break free of him. She kept yelling for him to let her go. Before the two of them left the basement, Miranda got one last look at her mother, who watched her with panic, who watched her with envy and even a little bit of…relief?_

"That image of her looking terrified for her life, watching me leave her there, is still burned in my head…"

Kendall was evermore determined now to get her little sister out of the clutches of those sadistic idiots. She took a hold of Miranda's hand and held her niece's gaze.

"We're gonna get her…I promise."

Miranda nodded and hugged Kendall, tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Of course." Kendall said as she pulled away. Then her eyebrows formed a trench in deliberation. "Wait…what…what does any of this have to do with you wearing a sweater? And what the hell did you mean by 'meet you halfway?'"

Miranda held up a finger and walked over to the bag she carried with her and pulled a large, folded manila envelope from its depths. She placed it on the counter in front of Kendall.

"That's all of the information you're gonna need to pull this off. After what happened, we had to re-plan everything. I was to never be alone again. Bruce was named my handler so, looks like you'll be able to kick his ass for leaving mom there, but he's your protector, so... They'll give you a nickname so your identity is protected. Mine was Sparrow... Something we noticed when we escaped was that they followed us, chased us. So, it was settled that there would be multiple cars this time around; all the same model, make, colour, style and one would be parked a few miles outside of Pine Valley. The drop-off point… That car just outside of Pine Valley that I mentioned? I wanna be driving it."

Kendall nodded.

"You'll be out of harms way, safe from everything else…that seems feasible."

Miranda breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you."

Nodding, Kendall continued.

"And your sweater?"

Miranda bit her upper lip, sighed and blinked softly. She turned around so her back was to Kendall and, slowly, removed her sweater. Running down the length of Miranda's left arm from the center of her triceps to the beginning of her forearm was a sizeable gash, riddled with stitches. Miranda turned her neck to look at the wide-eyes that had consumed Kendall's face.

"Oh my God…what the…?"

"That bitch I fought with? Knifed me…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Home.

That was the one place…the _only_ place that Marissa had wanted to be all day. She wanted to see her kids, any of them. She wanted to see her wife…even though she knew it was a pipe dream most days. Sometimes, she could pretend that, as she pulled into the driveway of their home, that Bianca would be waiting on the other side of that door, waiting for her. No Not tonight. She couldn't let herself go there again. It happened far too often today for comfort. Tonight she was getting home a little later than usual. It was 6:30 when she walked through the door. The delectable scent of the pizza that she had expected to infiltrate her senses had delivered her expectations and she was hungry. Walking into the main area, she noticed that it was deserted.

_What the?_ Marissa thought, looking at the set table for 5 and an empty main floor.

"Hey! Where is everybody?" She yelled into the hallway. Within seconds, she heard the scampering of little feet and a pair of larger ones charging down the upper level of the house and storming down the stairs.

"Mommy!" Nathan exclaimed, jumping into her arms and kissing her cheek.

"Me next!" Sofia jumped, arms outstretched.

Miranda kept her distance, smirking at Marissa as she sat at the base of the stairs, resting her cheek in her left hand. Marissa noticed the look on her daughter's face and eyed her, intrigue clear in her facial expression.

"Do I get a hug?"

Miranda stood and crossed her arms and looked passed her mother.

"Only if I get one too…"

Marissa turned around.

"Gabby!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

This place was colder than the last one. The floor was harder too and she didn't think it was possible. She felt nothing but pain; every inch of her body was in agony. She didn't know how much more of this she could take: the torture, the torment, the suffering. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be with the people she loved…the one she loved.

_Lena._

But was it Lena? Would she have waited for her? _It __**has**__ been three years_. Bianca let that thought go. Was it Lena? Was Lena the one she loved? _Of course, _Bianca thought. Who else would it be? Bianca closed her eyes and could see that hair as evocatively in her mind as she remembered it in her dreams. That hair most certainly did not belong to the shorthaired brunette that she had believed her heart belonged to. No. That radiant copper hair belonged to someone else entirely…it smelt differently too. Lena's scent was mature, what anyone would expect a businesswoman to smell like. It was very prim and clean. This other woman who had occupied Bianca's dreams had no face that she knew of. But that hair…it smelled like freedom, familiar and exhilarating. Everything Bianca favoured…vanilla and brown sugar…a warm feeling. It was long, soft and felt perfect against her fingers. It provoked Bianca's senses in more ways than one. It made her content, relaxed…

"Wake up Little Montgomery!"

A forceful thrust to her arm jolted her from her thoughts. She shouldn't be surprised at this point. She knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time before her 'captors' would be settled in their cozy positions on the floor above her. One thing was different…she could see where she was. She wasn't bound. Her wrists were bleeding, throbbing but they could move as they pleased.

"Don't get too comfortable!"

A gigantic hand wrapped itself around her small arm, yanking her off of the floor and onto a chair. Then she felt the binds again, tighter than they had ever been and were attached to the arms of the chair. He took the liberty of securing her ankles to legs as well. The man who grabbed her wouldn't let her see his face. It was covered, but it was so close to her own that she could clearly see the patterns in his irises as they bore into her soul, trying to manipulate her; trying to petrify her. But she remained calm…or so she tried.

"Who were they?"

She may have not been familiar with interrogation, but Bianca Montgomery, no matter what she went through these past few years, was no coward and she most definitely would not be coerced into an unknown situation. She remained tranquil in her response and spoke clearly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

She didn't even see it. That tremendous hand came out of nowhere and connected with her face.

"Don't lie to me! That girl. She knew you! Who was she! What was her name!"

Honesty.

"I don't know." She said.

He came at her and grabbed her face, clutching it in one hand, crushing it to the point where her cheeks met between her teeth, cutting into her tongue and inner cheeks. It was a force strong enough to break her jaw. She could taste the blood oozing from the insides of her mouth.

"I am going to ask you _one_ more time and _then_ I'm going to get pissed off little girl! _**WHO**_ was the girl who knew you!"

Bianca hadn't the slightest idea how she found the strength to do what she did next, but it didn't stop her; her fear or thoughts of what the consequences would be if she did. Bianca opened her mouth and bit his hand right before she spat in his right eye, seeing her blood and saliva blind him momentarily.

"AHH! BITCH!" He screamed, before kicking her knees, sending the chair flying backwards and pulling her with it. Her head hit the cement floor, hard and before she saw the darkness surrounding her, she saw a flash of the red hair that she had come to love.


	4. Special

You guys are AWESOME! I'm so sorry that it's taken a while to get this to you. School stuff and work gets in the way but I write every chance I get. Thanks for sticking with me through it.

Enjoy!

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Gabby's POV**

We've all been through it. I mean, we were all kids at one point and was fed that line that grown-ups tell their kids to make them feel like they're a part of some major plotline only to find later on, when we are grown-up and _actually_ a part of that scenario, what the adults meant when they said: "You have a special job." How many of you were fed this line? I know I was…multiple times. I remember waiting around, wanting to help in any way I could. When you're young, you don't really understand anything that's going on. You just know how you feel when someone adds the word 'special' in front of the word 'job.' It makes you feel important, like anything good that happens is because of you. It makes you feel good.

It's a funny word. Good. It means liked, qualified, moral, enjoyable… "Be good for your sister." "You're good for this job." "There's a lot of good inside you." "That was a good movie." Which of these sound familiar? One word used in different ways. Was it good when family members or friends gave you that special job? Was it simply to keep you out of their way?

Or was it out of love, to keep you out of harm's way?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"When did you get in? I mean I _just_ spoke to you a couple of hours ago."

Gabby, Miranda and Marissa were sitting around a now empty table, dishes full of crumbs and glasses empty of their contents. The chairs where Sofia and Nathan sat had been vacated and the pair was currently in the family room watching a movie. Gabby lifted her leg onto the chair and rested her chin on her knee before she averted her eyes to Miranda, who was wearing a knowing smirk.

"I was on my way to the train station when I called you. I wanted to surprise you. Miranda picked me up about an hour ago."

At that moment, Miranda's phone decided to go off. The familiar chorus of one of her favourite songs filled the room. She reached into the pocket of her sweater and, even though she kept a straight and unhitched face, she could feel the drop in the pit of her stomach when she checked it to see who was calling her. Excusing herself, Miranda left the table and walked out of the kitchen before answering the phone. While she made her escape up the stairs, the two ladies left sitting at the table continued their conversation, not thinking twice as to who it could be or why Miranda felt she had to leave the room to take the call.

"So, surprise me huh?" Marissa inquired.

Gabby returned her attention to her mom and smiled. She nodded.

"Yuup! Well, that and because I get from now until Sunday off."

Marissa furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh really? The school just _gave_ its students a nice three-day vacation? …You know you're not very good at lying Gabby." Marissa said, cocking an eyebrow as she gazed into Gabby's embarrassed face. "Gabby…?"

"Okay! Fine… This morning I called Miranda and asked her if she would call the school and make up some lame excuse that would get me to come home. I dunno what she said, but it seemed to work. So, here I am."

Marissa tried not to smile, but was failing miserably.

"But…why?"

"Well… I-I talk to you everyday on the phone and Skype, but it's not the same. I haven't been here since Christmas and I really miss you guys. Especially you… _Not_ that I don't miss Miranda or AJ or the little ones, it's just…you make everything seem okay."

Marissa didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The tone of Gabby's voice when she spoke made her seem way beyond her years and could make anyone's heart melt. Looking at her, Marissa could see her wife's face…except when Gabby smiled. It was then that she saw Zach. The undeniable glimmer of amusement with the rise of her nostrils as her eyes danced with the laughter of the lightheartedness that embraced her delicate features. It wasn't that Bianca didn't encompass all of these things in a single smile, but the way Gabby held herself when she showed off that rare grin was a reflection of the man who helped bring her into the world.

"You know…the way you talk…people will think you're 20."

Gabby chuckled then flashed that smile Marissa knew all too well.

"Well, I'm told I look it."

Marissa chuckled and Miranda walked back into the kitchen.

"What did I miss?"

"Nothing really. Who was on the phone?" Marissa asked as Miranda sat down in the chair she had recently vacated.

"It was Aunt Kendall. She wanted to make sure Gabby got in okay."

Marissa looked at Miranda, smirked and nodded.

_Just like their mother. Neither of them can lie._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Gabby Montgomery climbed into the familiar bed in the bedroom she and her sister shared. She didn't like having to give up her room at first, but now, she really didn't mind. It saved her from having to sneak past her mothers' room to get to Miranda's if she were ever scared as a child or if she just needed to talk to her big sister. Besides, she was excited to be getting a new addition to the family and she was given the status of the special big sister. That appealed to her in many ways. Gabby liked being the helper.

"So, who was really on the phone?" Gabby asked as Miranda walked into their bedroom.

"Matthew." Miranda simply replied.

"What did he want?"

"To tell me what I told your school to get you out of classes for the next few days…"

"Always the riddler," said Gabby. "By the way what _did_ you tell them?"

"That mom was coming home and that you needed to be here…"

Gabby shot out of her bed, standing. She didn't know if she should scream and give away her older sister or jump on her from the exhilarating feeling that rose in her stomach. Instead, she opted for neither. She remained silent, the revelation of Miranda's words had rendered her speechless and she couldn't seem to utter a single word, no matter how hard she tried to force it out of her system. It would come out as a strangled groan. Miranda raised her eyebrows in amusement at her sister's lack of commentary and even managed to slip in a miniature chuckle.

"Wh-what?" Gabby had finally managed to choke out.

Miranda took her little sister by the shoulders and pushed her down to sit back down on Gabby's bed.

"Okay, so you know how I've been helping the investigators find mom?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Well, they called me-"

"Yeah, I got that!"

"They're going to get her Friday morning. Originally I was supposed to go with them and I was supposed to be the one who actually got mom out of wherever they kept her, but I promised momma M that I wouldn't go anywhere near there _so_ Aunt Kendall volunteered to go in my place."

"W-… Hold on…what does this have to do with you or me?"

"Well, after they pick mom up, they have to transfer her to another car and bring her back to Pine Valley. It's a…precaution, just in case they were trailed…and I'm gonna be driving that car. But I need you here to keep mom company and calm because she has absolutely no idea when this is gonna happen and she's gonna need you here for support. You need to be her rock."

"So…when you say 'Friday _morning_' you mean like-"

"Like 3:00 AM…yeah. I'm gonna be out _well_ past my curfew…"

Gabby contemplated her sister's words. Gabby knew that asking Miranda to take her with her was completely out of the question. If she were being honest with herself, Gabby was a little apprehensive about all of it. If they were successful, she'd have her mother back by the week's end and if not, then it would all be just another letdown. She didn't know if she could deal with that. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that the police department declared her mother dead when, clearly, she wasn't.

Gabby thought about what she was asked to do. She was to be the baby-sitter while everyone else was off making things happen. Gabby thought that she would be sick of it after the amount of times that it had happened. The "special jobs" that everyone seemed to describe for her when she was growing up, it should've annoyed her at this point.

But it didn't.

She sighed.

"As _soon_ as you guys get her you _better_ call me."

Miranda placed a kind hand on Gabrielle's shoulder, which directed her attention to Miranda's grinning facial expression, shouting raptures of thanks for her baby sister.

"I promise! You'll be the second number I dial."

Gabby frowned.

"The second?"

Miranda grinned and sighed.

"Well if mom needs a doctor-"

"Right, of course." Gabby interrupted. "…Just tell me exactly what you need me to do and I'll do it."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Thursday had passed by in the blink of an eye. Marissa just stared at the clock in front of her, watching it tick the seconds away from her life. She hated times like these, when it was silent. During the day she had her children to care for, they kept her occupied and she would never feel happier than when she was with them. But when night came and they were sent off to a place that was their own, that's when it became the loudest for Marissa. Her thoughts were forced to the front of her mind. Her memories drowned her and it never mattered which memory decided to do it. To Marissa, every memory was one to be cherished, but when they haunted her as often as they did, all she wanted to do was forget them…all of them. But they wouldn't allow it.

Marissa clutched the steaming cup of hot coffee and felt like she was falling. _Why does this keep happening to me? Why can't the world just let me breathe? Give me some space?_ _…I hate that word._ Space…distance…of course, she only despised it when it came to her and Bianca.

"_Is that good?"_

_Marissa was grating mozzarella cheese as Gabby sat on the counter, holding the brown teddy bear that Marissa had bought her for her fourth birthday by the paw, watching her every movement._

"_Yes it is." Marissa said, smirking at the young child, even though there was a massive hole in her chest._

"_It's smelly." Gabby said, screwing up her nose._

"_That it is…but it's gonna taste great with the chicken," she said as she placed the cheese in the refrigerator. She moved to the sink to wash her hands, but could feel Gabby staring at her back the entire time. When Marissa turned around, she saw the little four-year old squinting at her. "What?" Marissa asked._

"_Are you and mommy bwreaking up?"_

_Marissa sighed. __**Oh God, I hope not…**_

"_I don't know lady. Your mommy is very upset with me."_

"_Why?" Gabby swung the bear, still holding it so it landed in her lap. She moved her little arms to clutch it against her chest as she kept her gaze on Marissa._

"_Because I…lied to her about something that I shouldn't have."_

_Gabby raised her eyebrows, surprised by Marissa's admission._

"_You lied? Mommy said lying is bad."_

"_And she's right."_

"_Why did you do that?"_

"_Because I'm dumb. I made a mistake."_

_Gabby noticed that Marissa's eyes had begun to glaze over. She touched Marissa's cheek, which shocked the older one. _

"_Mommy feels better when I touch her cheek when she cwys. You have to say sowry, okay?"_

_Marissa laughed lightly and brought her own hands to the little girl's face before planting a kiss on her nose. _

"_Thank you. I love you."_

"_I lub you too…and you lub mommy too, rwight?"_

_Marissa chuckled softly._

"_More than my own life."_

"_Wow… Is that this much?" Gabby asked as she stretched her arms as far back as she possibly could. Marissa grabbed the child's hands, clasping one in each of her own and bringing them together._

"_So much more." _

"_Wow…thass a lawt."_

"_What's a lot?"_

_The two ladies turned to see the owner of the third voice. Gabby's eyes lit up when she saw her and Marissa's stomach did back flips as the blood in her veins began to pump throughout her body quickly. _

"_Mommy!"_

_Marissa took Gabby under the shoulders and let her down from her position on the counter. She ran to her mother and jumped on the brunette, hugging her so tightly. Bianca kissed her cheek and stood up, running her fingers lightly through her young daughter's hair. She looked at Marissa and had two different feelings settle within her. The first was the feeling of being punched in the gut, but then came the elevated feeling of love in her heart…it was stronger than the hurt she felt in her stomach, but she couldn't help but feel the first one begin to grow._

"_Sweetie, why don't you go upstairs and play? I need to talk to Marissa."_

"_Okay mommy," she said as she ran out of the kitchen._

_Bianca turned her attention to Marissa who simply stared at her with the tears that had begun to fall while she was speaking to the youngest Montgomery. The two women just stood there, silent, with a gap between them. Neither one knew where to start, even though they both knew what they wanted to say. Neither one of them knew how or why it came to this. Marissa knew that she was in the wrong, but she was in the wrong for the right reason. That was her firm belief. _

"_You uh…" Marissa's attention went from her mind to Bianca as soon as she heard her soft voice. "You didn't come to bed last night." _

"_Yeah I…" Marissa swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped the single tear that had escaped its place. "I didn't think you wanted me to-"_

"_That wasn't for you to decide. Just like it wasn't for you to decide as to whether or not-"_

"_I know! Okay? I know. And I'm sorry that I kept it from you-"_

"_You lied to my face about it! When I asked you about it you-you flat out lied! And you __**know**__, you __**know**__ I can't take being lied to!"_

"_I know!"_

"_Argh! God! And to have to hear about it from Krystal! Do you __**know**__ how ridiculous I felt? And then the hurt that came after that? The fact that you could tell her and not me?"_

"_Of course I couldn't tell you! The threat was __**for**__ you!"_

"_Marissa, he's in prison!"_

"_That wouldn't stop him! When I was at the hearing he literally told me that just because he was locked up, didn't mean that he still couldn't get to us. That he had people working for him out here and __**would**__ get to us. To you, the girls and me."_

"_And you believed him."_

"_Of course I believed him. He's J.R! Bianca he __**shot**__ you at that party. __**You**__ were in the hospital for weeks! You were in a coma for __**three**__ days. You coded twice! I could have lost you, do you get that? So __**forgive**__ me if I thought that telling you what he said to me wasn't exactly a great idea!"_

"…_He threatened the girls?"_

"_Yes…and you. You…you've been through so much already, I didn't wanna worry you by adding this to it."_

"_You should have told me! They're my girls. I deserve to know if my girls' lives are threatened…"_

_Marissa knew Bianca had a point. She didn't have a right to keep it from her, but she panicked. J.R had threatened all of them except for AJ. Her instincts to protect everything she loved had taken over, regardless of what the right thing to do was. _

"…_I think you and I need to-"_

"_Don't say it!"_

"_Marissa-"_

"_No! Forget it!"_

_Bianca just stared Marissa and noticed the redhead's face, particularly her eyes. They were blood-shot, damp and there was a dark tinge that had made a home under them. Bianca was certain that Marissa's face reflected her own. Bianca hadn't slept that night and she had walked the halls of the upper floor multiple times, heading towards the stairs, but hesitating and returning to her bed every time she had made it halfway to the family room. _

"_You're pushing me away for trying to protect you."_

"_No, I'm n-"_

"_Yes, you are…and I don't mean to turn this around. I get that you're upset with me and why, but you're pushing me away." Marissa looked at the look of anxiety on Bianca's face. "…This isn't just about what I did. This is your whole insecurity thing acting up again, isn't it?"_

"_No, Mariss-"_

"_Yes, it is. That's why you're pushing me away. Why? Why is it only me Bianca?"_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_When Maggie ignored you because of Jonathan, you forgave her right away. You didn't ask her for space. And when you thought Reese was having an affair with Zach before your wedding, you didn't ask her for space. When I found out you were helping J.R 'win' me back, you asked for space. So, why me? I mean have I not proven myself to you that I am here forever? That I belong to you and only you? Because if not then that means I'm doing something wrong! I am __**not**__ them. …You're looking for excuses. You're trying to find out where this is supposed to go wrong because it always has! It's all you've known. Like you don't think me being here is for good because the people in your life always leave. Frankie died. Lena left. Maggie cheated. Reese worked. And me? You're waiting for me to leave… Well, you're gonna be waiting a hell of a long time because there is not a chance in hell that I'm __**ever**__ gonna leave you. I'm __**not**__ them. The difference between them and me is that I've got you. __**They**__ let you go, not me. I will __**never**__ let you go."_

_Then it was silent._

_Marissa couldn't take the distance any longer and the look that graced her girlfriend's features broke her heart. She couldn't help what she did next. She ran. She ran right to Bianca and took her face in her hands, bringing their foreheads together. As much as Bianca resisted, Marissa managed to keep her steady. Leaning forward slightly, Marissa grazed Bianca's lips with her own. Their foreheads were still connected and Bianca looked at Marissa, who had kept her eyes closed and began to speak again, softly._

"_I love you. Okay? And I don't care how much you push; I'm a wall when it comes to you. It doesn't matter how much you push me away; I won't budge. I won't move a single inch. You are it for me. People search for a lifetime trying to find who they're supposed to spend their lives with, who their soul mates are. I'm done searching. This is where I belong… You are where I belong."_

"Mom?"

Marissa shook herself out of her memory. Miranda's voice brought her back to reality.

"Heh?"

"Just letting you know that I'm going."

Marissa looked to the clock and noted the time.

9:45.

She had been lost in her daze for an entire 15 minutes. Sighing, she rubbed her eyes with her fingertips.

"Umm, where are you going this late?"

"I told you. AJ and I are going to see a movie… I thought you-"

"Oh, right, right, of course. Go have fun. You need a night out after this week."

Miranda smiled and placed a kiss on Marissa's cheek.

"Thanks. Love you!"

"Love you too."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

If there was one word to describe Kendall Hart-Slater, it would most definitely be 'dauntless.' After the life she lived and finding out her heritage, where she came from and whom she belonged to, confronting the dealer who gave her the hand she ended up with, yes, Kendall was definitely dauntless. And tonight proved to be no different.

After her conversation with Miranda, Kendall wasted no time finding out what the envelope that her niece gave her held inside. It had taken her the last 24 hours to wrap her head around what she was getting into and the risks that would come with participating in her sister's rescue. Death was most definitely at the top of that list, but the pros outweighed the cons in this situation. _It's Bianca._ Kendall would remind herself of that simple statement anytime she felt the anxiety begin to fill her body.

Kendall had had extensive phone conversations with the investigators. They had gone over every single step of the operation, preparing Kendall for the worst-case scenario. She wasn't stupid. She would be successful and wouldn't leave without her baby sister.

"Now, remember Mrs. Slater, this place is a lot more confined than the last place they held her. Chances are is that you'll be an easy target for them, especially if they're guarding her. That's why Bruce over here is gonna stay with you. He will address you as _Leo_, understand?"

"I understand." Kendall replied.

"Great," Matt said as he rolled out a large sheet with floor plans of a house printed on them.

"Now," he said as he traced a trail. "There are two back doors. You and Bruce will enter on the lower level. This leads to the basement. She'll be somewhere in there. Now, let's not forget that this is a house in a neighbourhood, so try to remain in the darkness. If they have nosy neighbours, we'll be faced with trespassing charges. Bruce, you are to make sure that Mrs. Slater is unharmed. You are to stand _behind _her at all times. When you find the girl, send the signal. After that time, you will have exactly 7 minutes to get out of there. Find your car and get out of here. Don't look back for any reason. Sparrow will be waiting for you by that grocery store just off of the freeway a few miles outside of Pine Valley. Bruce will drop you off there and you and your sister take off with her. You are to _not_ say anything to anyone until you pass the Pine Valley line, do you understand?"

Kendall took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes."

Matt looked to John who nodded.

"Alright. Let's go."

Kendall and Bruce stayed behind as the six others who were with them took off for their posts. She looked to her right off in the distance up the road to the car that she and Bruce would have to reach once they had Bianca. Once they were out of sight, Bruce gave a light shove to her shoulder and they began to walk the path around the house that led to the backyard. Kendall could barely see the door ahead of her, but the closer she and Bruce got, the clearer that brass door handle became. Bruce placed a hand in front of her, bringing his finger to his lips and pointed to the door. There was someone standing in front of it who had noticed them.

"Who's there?" Said the deep voice.

Neither of them spoke. Bruce simply raised the gun in his hand and shot at the man standing at the door. He must have got him because all that could be heard after the silent bullet was released from its place was a thud. Kendall carefully walked to the door and turned the knob.

It was open.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"So, you gonna tell me where we're going?"

Miranda had picked up AJ at his apartment building moments before and they were currently on the freeway heading towards the border of Pine Valley.

"I told you where we're going."

"Well, yeah, I mean I agreed to this months ago, but I'm kinda lookin for the details here."

Miranda signaled to change lanes and exited the freeway, opting for the scenic route.

"You know the grocery store a couple of miles away from here?"

"The one just off the freeway exit of the road before that of Pine Valley's? Yeah, I know it."

"Okay, that is where we're going. After they get mom, Bruce and Aunt Kendall are gonna bring her there. Kendall and mom come with us and Bruce heads back out and we don't look back. We have about a 15 minute drive before we get back to Pine Valley after that and we don't call _anyone_ until we pass the border."

"Okay…"

Miranda made a right turn into the parking lot of the now empty grocery store and parked at the side of the building where she was told, out of sight from any residents in the area. She turned off the engine and headlights. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, Miranda leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"So…we're just gonna freeze to death out here until they come, basically?"

"Oh relax you wuss. I got us some coffee," she said pointing to the cup holders in front of them. "Extra larges, two creams and three sugars for you and black for me. Plus there's a case of Red Bull, a crap load of candy, a box of oreos and there's orange soda and coke in the back seat."

AJ turned in his chair and saw the stash directly behind him.

"Well, that's all good Mimo, but what if we have to pee?"

Miranda chuckled and pointed ahead of them. AJ took note of the small, wooden buildings in front of them.

"The great thing about this grocery store is that it's also a rest stop. We're covered."

"And entertainment? Or were you expecting us to talk the whole time?" AJ exclaimed cheekily, cracking his Chandler grin.

"No, smart ass. The player is in the back and I brought a bunch of movies from when we were growing up."

"You bring 'Cars'?" He asked, an excited gleam beginning to swell in his blue eyes.

"Duh!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

3:00 AM.

3:00 AM.

It was 3:00 AM and Marissa stood in the kitchen, pacing the floor. Gabby sat in a chair at the table, wondering what was going on with everything. Had they gotten a hold of their mother? Was she alive when they found her _if_ they found her? Should she forget what Miranda had told her to do and just tell Marissa what was really going on? No, she couldn't do that. That would only further worry her and Miranda would never hear the end of it.

"Where is she?"

"Mama, you need to breathe."

"I can't!" Marissa said, as she nearly screamed in her whisper to Gabby.

_C'mon Gab, calm her down._

Gabby stood and walked over to her mother. She took her by the shoulders, which forced Marissa to look at her. The pair of them were the same height.

"Miranda isn't stupid. She'll call, okay? I know it's hard, but you really need to calm down."

"Gabz, I _can't_ calm down. What if something happened to her? Why isn't she home yet?"

Gabby pulled her mother into a tight hug, squeezing her. As much as Gabby loved her sister and wanted to honour what she was doing, she hated having to lie to Marissa like this. But her will was stronger than her emotions for the moment, so she hugged her tighter and held her there, whispering in her ear.

"You can't think like that. Okay? She's fine."

"But what if-"

"No. Don't go there. Just hold onto me, okay? She's okay."

At that moment, the house phone echoed throughout the kitchen and both women's focus flashed to it on the base. Gabby could feel Marissa begin to tremble in her grasp and moved to answer it, praying it was who she thought it was on the other end. She took it in her hand, pushed the 'talk' button and brought the receiver to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked. The voice on the other end was familiar and she held a straight face, simply listening to them.

"Yes, she is." Gabby replied. Marissa looked at her, fear evident in her eyes. She could feel the tumbling ball of nerves that had settled in her stomach begin to snowball. It only got bigger.

"I'll be sure to tell her. Thank you."

And with that, Gabrielle hung up and placed the phone back in its place.

"Wh-who was it?"

Gabby looked at Marissa.

"It was Brot…"

The look on her mother's face had gone from fear to utter panic.

"What did he say Gabby?"

Gabby began to tear. The small beads of water that were on the edge of her eyes had managed to slip and begin their course down her face.

"Do you know where the Miranda Center Safehouse is?"

Marissa nodded, her nerves getting the best of her and her shakes began to become violent. Gabby sighed.

"He said you better get down there. Miranda's there with AJ…" She paused. "And Dr. Castillo…"

o.o.O.O.o.o

Okay, normally I don't leave notes at the end of the chapter BUT I know there are a lot of questions that will be asked and I just wanna clear a few things up.

First of all, Marissa's flashback, I know, is a little confusing, but I wanted to portray the fact that they _are_ a couple and couples _do_ have their problems. I wanted something that could upset Binx, but not so it wasn't something Marissa would do. So I worked with what I had and it turned out better than simply an empty fallout in which I would have you make your own assumptions about.

Secondly, this chapter went in an entirely different direction than I had initially intended it to, which will bring the next chapter into a different frame than I thought it would. This chapter was originally over 25 pages long in Word so I had to cut it into two different chapters and that will be posted later this week (expect it for Friday night, early Saturday morning).

Finally, I know the last bits are a little jumpy and there is a massive gap _so_ before you ask whether or not I'll write Kendall's process, or about Miranda etc, the answer IS yes. It was originally in this chapter, but like I said it was kinda long SO I saved it for the next chapter.

Thanks for reading and I hope you leave a review!


	5. Bridges

You guys are amazing! Your awesome reviews make me cry. Here it is! This is the second half of what would have happened in the last chapter. I hope you enjoy it as much as the last one. I guess this is where the journey begins.

Enjoy!

o.o.O.O.o.o

**AJ's POV**

A bridge. Simple concept, isn't it? It's a structure connecting two places over an obstacle. One of the longest bridges in the world is in China. It's 26.4 miles long. The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge… I wonder how long that took to make and what went into making it. Bridges have gone from being these wobbly, suspended structures to these extravagant, durable and prominent compositions. Some crumbled because of the lack of attention to detail and knowledge about what makes it strong; some were burned, losing bits and pieces as they scorched to the waters below them, never knowing if there was any part of them that could be salvaged… Sounds a lot like life, doesn't it? Once a bridge is burned, can it be rebuilt?

There is a lot that goes into rebuilding a burnt bridge and they're created from the things that you wish you could do over again, the lessons you learn. Each day that passes by, you're faced with new challenges. The tears you cry from the pain that you're confronted with gives you the push to keep building. When your heart breaks, it's a crack in the foundation, so you're forced to make it stronger by filling the space. The doubts you feel, wondering how you'll make it through the day, are the scars that time has left behind. The curves are the roads that you never should have taken, but you found your way back. And the impressions of your feet in the cement that you walked through when it was still wet serve as the memories that came with every single day that passed you by.

Bridges are built so we can get from the place we are to where we want to be – where we're supposed to be. But we have to let them be built. We have to take the risks that come with getting to where we should be. We have to start somewhere if we're going to make it across to the other side. There is a bridge from regret to encouragement, from sadness to happiness, from hesitant to fearless, from lost to found…

And from forgetful to reminiscent.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

It was cold. It was cold and her baby sister was somewhere around here. She knew that much was certain. Kendall, carefully, stepped over the now dead body of the one who had been guarding the door. She surveyed the surrounding area. It was empty. She crept across the tiled floor, her runners gliding silently across it, holding her breath, as she kept moving in a 360-degree circle. Kendall noticed five doors before her and two staircases, neither of which held a door meaning that the odds were stacked against them. If they were to make a wrong move in any direction and be the cause for noise, they would most definitely be sitting ducks. _Focus Kendall._ One stairwell was a direct and linear one and to the left of it was a door. Carefully, Kendall moved to it and grasped the handle. She opened the door.

Nothing.

All she saw was the furnace and some old hockey equipment. Kendall sighed and left the door open, unable to waste any more time. She and Bruce headed towards the next door and she noticed the change in temperature as they neared it. It was becoming colder and colder and the adrenaline in her body coursed throughout her veins, unable to hear anything except for the deafening palpitations circulating within her.

"_What do you mean he's dead?"_

Bruce and Kendall's heads whipped in the direction of the other set of stairs located to their right. That voice did not sound happy. The light in the basement came on and the pair of them scrambled to find a hiding place as they heard the thumping of heavy, wet shoes pounding down the stairs. She ran off to the furnace room quickly and quietly. In the room, she found a vent in the wall and unhinged the door, and nestled herself as comfortably as she possibly could.

Kendall settled into her spot and held her breath. She heard a door opening and shutting. There was a muffled conversation going on; one voice overtly powerful and forceful while the other was barely audible and delicate. Then she heard the one thing that made her clasp her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. It was a shrill screech of the familiar voice of her little sister. That scream had voiced itself for far too long and Kendall did her best to try to filter it out of her auditory system. She shoved her fist into her mouth and sunk her teeth into the skin, forcing herself to stay put. Not soon enough, the piercing bellow had subsided and the door re-opened and closed once more.

"_Stupid bitch,"_ the voice said and then Kendal heard him mutter. _"What the f-" _but nothing came after it. She heard footsteps coming towards her hiding spot and the soft whisper of a familiar voice came to her.

"Leo, I got him. C'mon!"

Kendall emerged from her hiding spot and followed Bruce out of the room back into the main area of the basement.

"I saw it," Bruce whispered. "He went through that door right there."

Kendall followed Bruce's massive finger to the door that they had been heading towards before the man, who now lay dead on the floor in front of the stairs, had gone into. Nodding, Kendall wasted no time in moving toward said room, despite the cold that had begun to overwhelm her physique.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

After four trips to the bathroom, an entire box of Oreos, a bag of cherry licorice, their coffees and half a case of orange soda, Miranda and AJ were in the middle of _Dumb & Dumber_. AJ cleared off another can of soda and placed it into the garbage bag that the two of them had started. AJ turned his attention from the comedy to his twin sister, who was biting her nails, gazing intently at the film that played in front of them. She alternated between her nails and sipping a Red Bull. Something was wrong with her. Miranda Montgomery _never_ got nervous and even if she did, she most definitely never let anyone see it. AJ leaned forward, hitting the pause button on the movie.

"Hey! That was the best part! Don't tell me you need to pee again!"

AJ raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"Nah. I'm good for now."

"So why'd you stop it then?" She asked. AJ looked at her and sighed.

"Are you okay Mimo? You seem nervous."

"Cuz I am," Miranda replied.

"What? Why? Is it because you're afraid that Kendall won't ge-"

"No, no, no. I know she will. It's what comes next that scares me."

AJ grabbed his sister's hand.

"She'll be happy to see you. C'mon you gotta know that. And Miranda Center has got some kickass doctor's on its roster in case she's hurt. So, you just gotta breathe."

"But she won't."

AJ scrunched his face and pulled away.

"Won't what?"

But before Miranda could reply, she felt the vibration of her cell phone in her pocket and raced to get it. She fumbled a bit and checked the caller ID.

"It's Mom."

AJ looked at the time. It was well past 1 AM and Marissa was beginning her call rounds.

"Don't answer it." AJ said.

Miranda looked at AJ insulted.

"Obviously." Miranda ignored the call and turned her phone onto silent mode. "You should turn yours off. Knowing her, you're next after she's called me 20 times."

AJ listened to his sister, but soon he was back to questioning her.

"Look, AJ, don't worry about it okay? I'm fine. I'll be fine. Let's just finish watching the movie, okay?"

Defeated, AJ decided to let Miranda have this one. He knew that when the time was right, she'd tell him what meant. Sighing, he pressed play and the two of them continued to wait for the signal.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Was her livelihood not enough? Were her attempts to be the person she wanted to be - great, helpful, loving, caring, genuine – not enough? Was she the reason that these things happened to her?

Raped.

Kidnapped.

Beaten.

Tortured.

Lost.

Haunted.

Bianca lay there alone with her thoughts as she took the punts of the steel-toed boots of one of her captors. Threatening her with the deaths of the people who had previously come for her. They wanted answers, but she had no answers to give. She couldn't remember. And so, she screamed. The exertion on her abdomen gave way for her voice to pierce the walls of the room, allowing her to block out the tormenting voice that kept telling her to shut up.

Bianca felt the wounds that were close to closing rupture once again, oozing warm, red liquid out of her body and onto the damp, cement floor below her. The cellar was ill lit and cold and the ache in her heart began to cause her more pain than the one who kicked her, causing her muscles to tense. She felt as if her ribs would crack. Then it flashed to her, that red hair and those hazel eyes.

_Where is it coming from?_

Bianca didn't know whom those features belonged to and she didn't care. They called to her like a pirate to their gold, like an addict to its drug… She focused on those eyes, the orbs that had looked into her own, full of something that she once thought she had seen elsewhere. It was in someone who she no longer felt anything for, but thought that she should. This figure in her head wasn't real, was she? Just someone Bianca had made up; an ideal? This woman was the polar opposite of her supposed love in every way. But she didn't worry herself over it. She closed her eyes and felt pressure on her lips, caused by the woman of her liquid dreams. The heat flowing into her mouth was almost tangible as the redhead nibbled on her lip. And soon, the pain was gone.

Opening her eyes, she realized that the room was empty and the footsteps that were making their way to the stairs had stopped.

"_What the f-_" and then, there was a thud.

Terrified, Bianca attempted to move herself to the opposing wall but was failing. She had taken too much for the time being and opted to simply curl into a ball as she heard muffled whispers on the other side of the door and, soon enough, the knob on the door was turning once more.

_Not again, _she thought as the tears came to her_. _She whispered to her dreams, "come back to me."

The footsteps grew closer as she winced, preparing herself, and then she heard the gasp.

"Oh my God! Binx!"

Bianca opened her eyes. She knew that voice.

_Kendall?_

With all of the strength she could muster, Bianca forced herself to roll over onto her other side. Squinting, she could see a slender, hooded figure in black sprinting towards her. When they were close enough, the hood came off and Bianca's eyes widened.

"Oh my God, Kendall! What are you doing here? How'd you find me?"

Bianca couldn't stop her mouth in spite of the pain that she felt consuming her abdomen. She had so many questions and if she were feeling any fatigue before, it was gone now and replaced with adrenaline. She was wide-awake.

Kendall kneeled before her sister and lifted her head.

"I don't have time to answer any questions. We don't have much time. We're gonna get you out of here, but oh my God, Binx. Look at you!"

Kendall was extremely close to tears taking in her sister's appearance. Miranda wasn't exaggerating when she had described Bianca's face. There were bruises everywhere and when Kendall's eye caught the floor below her, she noticed the bloodstains seeping from Bianca's shirt. She would definitely need medical attention. Making a mental note of everything, Kendall took Bianca's face in her hands as Bruce signaled for her to hurry things up.

"Okay, look Binx. That's Bruce and as soon as we step out of this room, things are gonna get extremely hectic. Can you walk?"

Bianca shook her head. It hurt too much to even stand, let alone walk.

"Bruce." Kendall gestured to the man behind her with his firearm. "Okay, Bruce is gonna lift you up. Things are gonna get bumpy, but close your eyes and it'll be over soon. Whatever you do, don't scream, don't say my name or Bruce's, and keep your eyes closed. Got it?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah."

"Okay good. Let's go."

Bruce lifted Bianca onto his shoulder, holding her with one arm so he could still hold his weapon and manage it. Kendall led the way, her own automatic in a holster that she had been given when they traveled to their current location, about 36 miles outside of Pine Valley. She stepped outside of the cellar and unleashed her gun from its place and when Bruce closed the door behind them, he motioned for Kendall to keep a lookout and start heading for the door that they entered through. Kendall overviewed the basement, making sure that they wouldn't receive any surprises. Stepping to the window, Kendall lifted curtain, minimally, and noted that there were now two individuals guarding their exit.

"Shit," she whispered as she turned to Bruce. "We've got company. There's two of them out there."

Bruce muttered something that not even Bianca could understand and, turning to Kendall, he began to speak in a language they could both understand.

"Okay Leo, this is what we're gonna do. We're gonna walk out of here like we own the place, but don't hold back. Shoot them or they _will_ kill us and your sister over here. They'll do it without a second glance. I'll send this thing off just before we open the door. After that, we have to go with the flow. Understand?"

When Kendall nodded and returned it, he activated the signal for their needed distraction from his wrist. At that point, anything could happen.

Kendall quickly opened the door and didn't hesitate in gunning down both men who had barely turned their heads, leaving no fun in it for Bruce. That's when they heard multiple alarms go off from within the house and the angry shouts from numerous individuals, but neither gave it a second thought to the ones closest to them. The pair of them took off in a sprint running to the left and along the perimeter of the house going upwards heading for the road. Kendall could see the vehicle up ahead and to her right as they ran down the driveway and onto the road. Gunshots could be heard behind them, growing dimmer and dimmer with every quick step.

She finally arrived at the car and looked to see Bruce two steps behind her. She opened the door to the back seats and stumbled inside. Bruce released Bianca from his grip and placed her, as carefully as he could, into the back seat. Kendall took Bianca in her arms and held her tightly as she watched Bruce climb into the front at a frantic speed. As he started the car, bullets could be heard not too far from them. Looking in the rearview mirror, Bruce caught a sight of people he didn't recognize coming towards them and shooting at the car.

"GET DOWN!" He shouted to the pair in the back so he could see directly behind him. Putting the car in reverse, he crashed his foot into the gas pedal and they took off in reverse. Bruce didn't fear anything anymore. He ran over the three guys who had been shooting at them, hearing their bones crunch beneath the tires. Kendal had to hold her breath to keep from vomiting while Bianca simply placed her hands over her ears to shut everything out, the pain in her body tensing. Putting the car in drive, Bruce took off and didn't look back.

Kendall got up and looked behind her and saw the house growing smaller and smaller in the distance and soon enough, it was out of sight. Running multiple Stop signs in the urban neighbourhood, Bruce was finally able to get onto the main road and sped towards the freeway. Once the lights of the suburbs were out of sight, Kendall placed her hand on Bianca's shoulder, willing her to get up.

"Binx, it's over. It's all over. You're safe now."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Go! Go! Go!" AJ yelled at the small screen in front of him and Miranda just laughed.

"Don't you find it hilarious that even though we know the ending, you still manage to be on the edge of your seat cheering Lightening McQueen on?"

AJ shrugged and smirked.

"What can I say? I love it!"

"You're like a giant toddler." Miranda managed to say before she noticed her phone light up from her peripheral vision. Grabbing it out of the cup holder, her eyes widened. Panic-stricken, Miranda turned the movie off in front of her and answered it.

"Aunt Kendall?"

"Hey Junior, we got her. She's safe. Start the car. We'll be there in 10 minutes." Then nothing could be heard but a dial tone after that.

Grabbing the keys out of her pocket, Miranda placed them into the ignition and started the car up. She blasted the heater and looked at AJ.

"They're on their way. They got her," Miranda said, not knowing whether the feeling in her stomach was one of dread or excitement. "C'mon, help me."

AJ and Miranda moved fast, getting all of the garbage out of the car and transferring everything that was in the back seat to the trunk of the SUV. Where there was once food now sat large, warm, fluffy blankets and enormous, cozy sweaters. Looking at the clock on her iPhone, Miranda saw that they had 5 minutes still before they got there. Leaning against the hood of the car, AJ noted, once again, the frightened look on Miranda's face. Shoving his ungloved hands in the pockets of his brown leather jacket, AJ approached Miranda.

"So? You gonna tell me what's wrong now? I mean they got her so that's good right? Did she say how she-"

"No. She didn't have to."

AJ screwed up his face in confusion. "What does that mean?" When Miranda simply stared into the distance ahead of them, he questioned her again. "What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid. I'm just…edgy."

"Yeah, I got that, but why? Mom is coming home. She'll be thrilled to see everyone."

"That's the thing. I'm not so sure she will."

"What? Why do you say that?"

"Because she didn't know me!"

AJ was shocked at Miranda's confession but then became semi-blinded as he took note of the car coming towards them. Their headlights went from conspicuously bright to completely off in a matter of seconds. Squinting, Miranda and AJ could see two heads bobbling around in the back seat. Both teenagers' hearts grew in their chests with from anxiety and excitement.

"You mind driving?" Miranda asked, turning to AJ.

"Not at all," he said giving her an understanding look. He went to the driver's side and hopped in. Miranda, still standing in the bitter cold, moved to open the back door and stood by there as she watched the back door of the other car in front her open.

Two women emerged from it. She recognized both of them right away and didn't know whether she should laugh or cry from the swelling in her heart. She watched as her mother held onto her aunt, winding an arm around her shoulder as she limped towards the car. Miranda walked over to them and went to the other side of her mother, swinging her arm around her own shoulder.

"Thanks Junior." Kendall whispered.

"Of course," Miranda muttered and directed them to the back seat. "Okay, there's blankets and sweaters and the car has been running for the last ten minutes on the highest heat possible okay? Get her warmed up."

Kendall nodded as she helped Bianca into the back seat of the car and then entering it herself. She noticed the comfortable articles and as Miranda closed the door and climbed into the front, Kendall began to wrap her little sister in everything she could.

"You okay?" Kendall asked as Bianca settled into the toasty sweater and cushiony blankets. She sniffed and exhaled as she nodded her head and soon they were off into the dark street, back towards Pine Valley.

_I'm going home. I'm really going home._

Bianca then fell asleep.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

After an 80-hour shift, all Griffin Castillo wanted was his bed, especially now that it was almost 2:30 AM. He had checked on all of his post-ops and ran the labs that needed to be done. He updated every chart and now, it was time to go home. Making one last stop in a patient's room, he heard his pager go off from the waistband of his scrubs.

911.

_Dammit!_

He headed towards the front desk from where he was paged. One of the nurses was there holding the phone and waving at him.

"Dr. Castillo, it's Ms. Montgomery from the Miranda Center calling. She says it's urgent."

Sighing, Griff took the phone.

"Miranda? What's wrong?"

"_Hey. I'm so sorry to bother you. I was wondering who the on-call doctor was for the center tonight?"_

The doctor rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger.

"It's me. Why? What happened?"

"_I need you to be at the Safe House as soon as you can. I know you just worked a long shift, but this is really important and I can't give too much away over the phone. I can't tell if she's critical or not and I can't bring her to the hospital because we don't know if we're being followed. Everything there is ready to go. All the machines have been installed and are ready to be used at your will and I hate to ask, but can you be there? Griff, I think she has amnesia…"_

Griffin suddenly felt awake. _Following them? What the?_

"_Hello? Griff?"_

"Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"_Thank you!"_ Miranda said and hung up.

Griffin handed the phone back to the nurse and headed towards the locker room to change out of his scrubs and head to where he was needed.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda had hung up with Dr. Castillo and turned in her seat to look at her mother, making sure that this was real and that she was really there beside Kendall. She was fast asleep in Kendall's lap and the sight made her smile. She had another call to make but not before giving AJ directions to the safe house. AJ drove into the lot and parked the car before turning it off. Pressing two, her phone speed dialed her house and waited for Gabby to pick up.

"_Hello?"_ Her sister's voice asked.

"Gabby! It's me. We got her. Is mom there? Don't tell her it's me."

"_Yes, she is."_

"Okay, good," Miranda said. "Okay now Gabz, listen to me carefully. Once you hang up tell her it was Brot and then tell her to get to the center's Safe House as soon as she can. AJ and me are here with Griff and she's here Gabby. She looks really bad and she…I think she has amnesia Gabby…"

The line was silent and then Miranda continued.

"Do you understand what you have to do?"

"_I'll be sure to tell her. Thank you."_

Then Gabby hung up. Miranda set her phone into her pocket and looked at the house before exiting the car and helping Kendall with her unconscious mother.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa looked terrified but felt sick to her stomach.

"The Miranda Center? Are you sure that's what he said?"

Gabby nodded.

"And Griff is there?"

Gabby nodded again. "Y-you better get down there."

Marissa nodded as she began to scramble for her things.

"W-wait, uh…the-the kids."

"Don't worry about them," Gabby said. "Go. I'll look after them and get them ready in the morning. I won't be sleeping tonight anyways, so don't worry about them. I got this, okay? Just do what you need to do and drive safely, please."

Marissa nodded as she slipped into her boots and pulled Gabby into a tight hug before heading out the door.

Marissa opened the door to her car and started it up. While she waited for it to warm up, she simply sat there, hands on the steering wheel and watched them shake. She trembled with fear and her nerves were getting the best of her. She thought about the worst possible scenario. She couldn't handle it. She didn't want to think about it. She couldn't even comprehend it if what she thought were true. _No._ She thought. _Miranda is okay. She's okay… God, please let her be okay._ Marissa brought her forehead to rest on the back of her hands as they gripped the steering wheel and just cried.

She cried for the past three years.

She cried for her kids, praying that they would grow up knowing how much they're loved.

She cried for Miranda, hoping that nothing had happened to her. Hoping that she knew how much she meant to Marissa.

She cried for AJ, wanting him to keep growing into the man she hoped he would be.

She cried for Gabby…sweet Gabby. She wanted her be all right and finally embrace life, no matter how terrible it got.

She cried for Nathan. His curiosity and intelligence were a spectacle.

She cried for Sofia, her little look-alike with her big brown eyes, that she would never stop smiling or giggling.

She cried for the aching feeling inside of her to see her wife…just to hold her or even be held by her.

Marissa wished she could give all her children the life they deserved.

When she felt the burning sensation on her fingers, Marissa sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes and took off into the early morning towards the place that would finally tell her what a portion of her future would hold.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Hey you, wake up." A soft voice whispered into her ear and as she opened them, she saw those hazel ones staring right back at her. The warm heat from her body covered the right side of her own and, somehow, it felt right to wrap her arms around it. It felt right. It felt perfect, but she couldn't see anything else except those eyes. Pulling the body closer to her own, she couldn't believe how relaxed she felt or how much she never wanted to leave this place…wherever she was.

"_She's waking up. Griff! She's coming out."_

Bianca Montgomery scrunched her eyebrows, the light in the room being a little too much as she came back to reality. She wanted to go back to where she just was. Looking around, Bianca noticed that she was in, what appeared as a hospital bed. Kendall was hovering above her with a grin of relief embracing her face and she quickly took Bianca's hand. Within seconds, a panting individual entered the room and hovered over her other side. The handsome man wore a grin to match her sister's and the soft tone in his eyes stated that he could be trusted.

"Welcome back. Do you know where you are?" He asked.

She shook her head, gripping Kendall's hand tighter.

"Binx, you're in the Miranda Center Safe House. Do you remember the Miranda Center?"

Bianca only look more confused. _What are they talking about? Who is this guy?_ She wondered.

"I'm Dr. Griffin Castillo, Bianca. Do you remember me?"

Bianca shook her head. "N-no. Sorry."

He grinned. "Don't be. …You know, you're a lucky girl."

Bianca look all the more puzzled.

"How do you figure?"

She was beginning to worry. It seemed the only thing she knew of was Kendall. She had no recollection of Griffin or this place, the Miranda Center.

"Well, while you were out, we did a few scans. No internal injuries. Three broken bones, but they're healing, a little bruising and some swelling but nothing that would cause you death. I just wanna make sure of a few things so I'm going to ask you a series of questions and you just answer them as honestly and as best you can, okay?" Griffin stated as he rolled a chair over and sat down. He saw Bianca look at Kendall who nodded in encouragement and held her sister's hand tighter.

When Bianca nodded, Griffin began.

"Okay well, I know you know your name, your birthday, you obviously remember Kendall. What's the last thing that you remember?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Well, so far, Griff said that there's nothing wrong with her, but I dunno. I can't help but shake this feeling-"

"_But you've got her, I mean, she's safe, right?"_

"Yes, of course."

"_Oh, thank goodness. Have you called Marissa?"_

"Yeah, I did."

Miranda sat on the floor, in the hallway, a few feet away from the door of the examination room where Dr. Castillo was evaluating her mother. They had arrived at the Safe House almost an hour ago and after the initial shock had worn off, Miranda decided to call her grandmother, Erica Kane, to let her know what had occurred within the past few hours.

"_Okay, okay. I'm going to come there right now."_

"No, no you don't have to do that."

"_The hell I don't! She's my daughter and she's going to need me when everything is over and done with."_

"I didn't mean it like that. It's just, it's the middle of the night and we're in the middle of nowhere."

"_You chose to build there, young lady, not me. She's my daughter and I'm coming to see her. End of story."_

"Okay... I listed your name with security so they'll let you in – I figured you would come even though it's almost 3:30."

After hanging up with her grandmother, Miranda sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. She noticed AJ staring at her with a sympathetic look. Walking the small distance between them, AJ dropped to the floor and sat with her. He wrapped an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt safe with her brother. He was always there for her, regardless of the situation. It had been that way since they were kids and it was one of the things that remained constant in her bustling life.

Miranda rarely cried. It was something she developed over the years. She was the comforter and protector, not the crier. She was the shoulder everyone leaned on, or the arms everyone sought when they needed a hug. She didn't cry. But, for the moment, with everything that had occurred from the past few years to the last couple of hours, Miranda could no longer take it.

She cried.

AJ tightened his grip on her and rested his chin on her head. She wasn't wailing, but he could hear her sniffling and, soon enough, he was shedding tears of his own. It wasn't a lot, but they were falling from his eyes as freely as Miranda's were. No words were exchanged between the two of them. Silent tears were the only things that came out of either of them.

They heard the door opening and quickly looked up to see Griffin standing over the two of them. The pair scampered to stand up right and wiped the droplets that continued to run down their faces.

"How-how is she?" Miranda asked.

"Well," Griff sighed, "you were right. She has a severe case of retrograde amnesia. However, not _everything_ is erased. Kendall can vouch for that. It seems she's lost most of what happened after she was…sexually assaulted, however I think she will gain her memory back almost definitely because she seems to remember Kendall being married to Zach and she remembers Spike, but not Ian or Bianca."

"Well, what can we do?" AJ asked when he noticed that Miranda's face had turned white.

"Under normal circumstances-"

"Ha, normal? Tell me, what part of this is normal?" Miranda shot back. Griff ignored the hostility behind her voice.

"Under normal circumstances I would say to answer any questions she may have _but_ in a case like this, where the memory loss is this extreme, my best advice is to let her figure things out for herself. Don't tell her _anything_ of her past after Michael Cambias."

"Wait, what? What! Are you kidding me? Why? That's stupid!"

Holding a calm hand up, Griffin did his best to calm Miranda.

"I know, I know it sounds…"

"Ridiculous is the word you're looking for," AJ interrupted.

"I know. But the thing is, _so_ much has happened to her since that time. To tell her everything would be too much and it could send her body into a state of shock. I took a look at the physical scars that these last three years have left on her. She was tortured in that place. The fact that she's alive is amazing. And what's even more incredible is that nothing is broken. Add that to the amount of emotional trauma she has gone through, it's a lot for her. And now you want to add a copious amount of memories that she has no recollection of to that pile? That's like pouring salt in an open wound."

She didn't like it, but Miranda knew that Griffin was right. He was the medical professional and she would just have to accept what was happening. Dejected, Miranda sighed and nodded. She mumbled a "thank you" to Griffin before Kendall emerged from the room. Noticing Miranda, Kendall ran to her and engulfed her into a close hold.

"She wants to see you," Kendall whispered.

"Seriously?" Miranda replied, shocked.

Kendall pulled away and nodded before she motioned her niece to the door. Hands trembling, Miranda walked, nearly stumbling over her own feet. She gripped the door handle and entered the room, taking note of her mother in the bed straight away.

Bianca turned her head to the door as soon as she heard it being opened. Watching the girl who had come to her aid earlier in the week step into the room put a small smile on her face. The girl closed the door behind her and, cautiously, walked to stand over her bed, nervous, no doubt.

"Hello Miranda, right?"

Miranda took a deep breath and nodded.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa had driven in a panic the entire twenty minutes that it took to get from her house to the soon-to-be-opened Miranda Center Safe House. By the time she drove into the parking lot it was almost 3:45. She could see Griffin Castillo's car parked but failed to notice anything else. Running from her vehicle, she nearly slipped on the ice that had begun to form on the ground below her feet and, as frightened as she was, Marissa was able to move her body slowly so that she could make it into the safe house without injuring herself in the process.

Getting past security was easy for her. She had recognized the two men as Jacob and Marcus, a couple of undercover police officers, who had been two of the many that had offered their services to the Miranda Center. They directed her, stating that Miranda was on the lower level of the house. Marissa kept walking until she hit a flight of stairs and ran down them, regardless of trying to remind herself to breathe.

As she came to the bottom of the stairs, she could see the small silhouettes of her son, Kendall and Griffin. She took off in a sprint and slowed down once they were within reach.

"Where is she?" Marissa said, out of breath and completely worried. Anytime someone tried to speak, she would interject, not giving any of them a chance to comment.

Kendall tried to speak.

"Mariss-"

"Where is she?"

"Mom-"

"No, no. You better tell me where she is-what's wrong with her-what happened. Is she okay?"

"Marissa, you need-"

"No! Griff tell me!"

"She's in there," Griff said pointing to the door beside him as Marissa pushed past him and took hold of the handle. "But there's something you should know!"

Marissa turned the handle and looked at him as she half-walked into the room.

"No! Griff, she's my daughter, I wanna see her!"

The three people behind here were all speaking at once, trying to get her not to go into the room, saying that there was something they had to tell her, but she wouldn't hear any of it. The only thing she was concerned about was Miranda.

Marissa stepped into the room and noticed her daughter standing there, but not before she recognized the beautiful brunette who's hand was wrapped around Miranda's.

"B-Bianca?"

o.o.O.O.o.o


	6. Comfort

Seriously? I don't know what I can say to thank you all. You make my days SO much brighter and I'm forever grateful for your awesome reviews filled with kind words and I guess the only way I can express my gratitude is an early(ish) update and it's because over the next 2 weeks I am SWAMPED with papers and midterms for school and I REALLY wanted to get this to you. I'll write as much as I can, but I don't know when I'll be able to update next. So I'll stop rambling. Love you all!

Enjoy!

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Kendall's POV**

Ever heard of the expression _too close for comfort?_ Ever thought of what that even means? Does it describe someone invading your personal space? Does it label the threat of getting too close to someone? Does it illustrate the danger of already being too close to someone you care about, regardless of time, recognition and/or the experiences shared? At what point do you take a step back when someone you can't help loving stops being familiar? When is it that you just stop and make yourself let go of someone that you can't help but be close to?

Is it when they take a step away from you?

Is it when they no longer choose you?

Is it when they no longer love you back?

Is it when they no longer see you?

Is it when they no longer recognize you?

Or is it when they are just no longer comfortable around you?

And, at that point, what do you choose to do? Face facts and let go of the one who means everything to you? Do you give up on the vows you've made to them – the promises of forever loving them – do you let those pledges slip through your fingers, turn your back and walk away? Or do you fight? Do you allow yourself to be haunted by their image as it roams around like a ghost in your memory? Do you choose to 'bump' into them on the street or do you intentionally go after them, trying to remind them of everything that you've been through together? Do you remind them of the commitments, the memories, the torturous, yet glorious tension, the laughter…every touch, every kiss, and every search for the other's arms on those days when simply holding onto each other was enough? Do you say that you won't go until they make you go? Do you say…

I'll wait for you?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Griffin Castillo had finished his evaluation and he was sad to say that Miranda had been correct with her diagnosis. He had explained to Bianca the state of her condition and, while he could tell that she was terrified, she had taken the news and accepted it, or at least she was trying to. She had put on a brave face and allowed it to sink in before thanking Griffin for his time.

"You know, Bianca, you shouldn't worry too much about this, okay? There's no doubt in my mind that you'll regain your memory. You're gonna get out of here and the familiar stimuli will help you get back to your life. I truly believe that."

Smiling as much as he could, given the situation, Dr. Castillo excused himself, allowing the two women a moment to talk. As soon as he exited the room, Kendall turned her attention to Bianca who now lay back to rest her head against the comfortable mattress of the bed she had been placed in.

"You okay?" Kendall asked, cautiously.

Bianca shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. I really don't know what to make of all this. Those questions he kept asking me. I didn't know anyone, Kendall. It's frustrating! Why can't I remember anything?"

Bianca brought her hands to her eyes, trying to catch the tears that had begun to form behind them. Kendall raised hers and rested them on Bianca's, prying them from her face.

"Bianca, it's okay. Stop trying to force it. You heard Griff. You're gonna be okay. Things are gonna get better. You have a bunch of people here who love you and they're gonna help you in any way they can."

"Yeah, okay. How can I do that if I can't even remember them?"

"That's not the point Binx. You really think that the fact that you don't remember them will cause them to abandon you? Trust me, they won't! We all missed you…_so_ much! We don't care that you can't remember! You're home. You're safe. That's the only thing that will matter…that does matter."

Bianca sighed. Kendall was right. She tightened her grip on her older sister's hand that still held her own. She brought it to her lips and placed a light kiss on her hand.

"Thank you," Bianca whispered.

"No problem," Kendall replied just as softly. Bianca gave her a small grin.

"And thank you for finding me. How did you-"

"Oh no, little sister. You're thanking the _wrong_ person for that one."

"What?"

"You need to thank mom, Marissa and Miranda for that one."

Bianca furrowed her brow.

"Umm, Miranda as in the-"

"The girl you saw earlier this week and who helped you get here tonight…yeah. She's…she's a live wire that one."

"I…I would love to thank her if she's-"

"Yeah…I think she's just outside the door actually. Do you want me to…?"

"If you don't mind," Bianca said.

"Of course not. I'll go get her."

Kendall hugged Bianca before moving for the door. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily, grateful for how the night had turned out. She had killed two people, but they were worth getting her sister home safely.

"Welcome home Binx. I love you."

"I love you too," Bianca managed to say into Kendall's shoulder.

Kendall forced herself to move away from her sister and headed out of Bianca's room.

Bianca watched as Kendall closed the door and was soon left alone with herself…her thoughts. The silence was when those thoughts became the loudest. Bianca remembered Miranda's face from earlier that week. It was the first time she had any contact from someone who wasn't trying to beat her to the point that she passed out from the pain. Miranda had removed her blindfold with a tender and cautious hand. That gesture alone should have told Bianca that Miranda wasn't someone who would hurt her. There was something about the young woman that Bianca recognized, but she couldn't put her finger on it. All she knew was that when she saw Miranda's face, something stirred within her…a compulsion of some sort. And when she had been involved in the struggle with one of the people who had been guarding her, she couldn't help but be worried for the girl. Bianca had really wanted to go away with Miranda when she had come for her, but couldn't help but be relieved when the buff man, Bruce, had come and taken her away. She couldn't bare it if Miranda had been captured and put through the same hell that she had been put through. But it wasn't only Miranda who was responsible for her return home. There was another who Kendall had mentioned.

Marissa.

_Who's Marissa?_

The sudden click at the door had Bianca jerking her head in its direction. She recognized the tall brunette who was making an entrance. It placed a small smile on Bianca's face to see that the girl was all right.

"Hello Miranda, right?"

Miranda took a deep breath and nodded, moving slowly towards the bed, removing the hood that covered her head and stopped at the foot of the bed. There was an untroubled silence in the room. Miranda only looked upon the face of her mother, conflicted on the inside because of the uncertainty of how to act around this woman. She didn't remember her at all. This caused the tears that had previously subsided to begin to form again, but she was able to maintain them. She forced herself to speak.

"S-so? How are you doing?"

Bianca sensed the apprehension in Miranda's tone. This confused Bianca. A few days ago, the woman standing before her had shown so much confidence and determination, but now, all Bianca could see was a shy girl who didn't know what to say or do. To ease the young one's mind, Bianca softened her expression and smiled a bit wider.

"I've been better… How 'bout you?" When Miranda didn't respond, Bianca patted the spot beside her, on her right, motioning for Miranda to come sit by her.

Miranda took a deep breath and walked to her mother's side, but remained standing.

"I dunno… I guess I'm still trying to process everything-" Miranda cut herself off and realized what had just come out of her mouth and was quick to recover. "I-I'm sorry. That must've sounded insensitive. I mean, here you are trying to deal with all this and you can't- Shit. I'm doing it again. Dammit. I need to shut up. And now I'm rambling. I'm sorry."

For some reason, the rant that had escaped Miranda's mouth had Bianca in a light chuckle.

"No, please. Don't worry. It's not insensitive at all. You're right, I am trying to figure everything out and I can't and that makes me a little upset, but I'm trying. Just because I…have amnesia doesn't mean you're not allowed to have your own difficulties. Besides…a little bird told me that it's your fault that I'm outta that hellhole…" Bianca said as she, carefully, reached out and took Miranda's hand. "And I wanted to thank you."

Miranda released the breath that she had been holding and glanced downwards at her hand being grasped by her mother's. It was familiar and she had to keep looking at it to convince her brain that it was real. She squeezed Bianca's hand, gently, and the small bit of water that threatened to fall from her eye had taken its course down her face, which she wiped with her other hand. Finding her voice, Miranda was able to remove her eyes from their intertwined hands and looked up to speak.

"Well…I wasn't alone in it."

"Yeah, Kendall told me. She said it was you, my mom and someone named Marissa?"

Miranda smiled fully at the mention of Marissa's name coming from her mother's mouth.

"Yeah…"

"Who's Marissa?"

Miranda noticed the confusion in Bianca's expression. The trench between her eyebrows caused creases in her forehead. Bianca was trying to remember someone named Marissa from memory, but nothing was coming to her. She knew that she shouldn't pressure her mind into recalling someone who she clearly had no recollection of.

Miranda responded as best she could.

"I…you know that I can only tell you the _bare_ minimum right?"

Bianca nodded. "I know, doctor's orders. I'm hating it. But I'll take what I can get."

"Well…she's my mom and…your…best friend."

The tresses in Bianca's head had ceased to exist as her eyebrows rose.

"Oh…so…Maggie's not-"

The pair's conversation was interrupted by an argument that had been brewing outside of the door, but was becoming clearer as the door had begun to open.

"But there's something you should know!"

"No! Griff, she's my daughter. I wanna see her!"

The people behind the voice had begun to speak all at once; their murmurs were incomprehensible and failing at their task of keeping someone out of Bianca's room.

Bianca's attention had gone from asking Miranda about Maggie Stone to the loud voice at her door. She caught a glimpse of the woman who had been begging to see her daughter. _That doesn't sound like Mom. _Then Bianca looked at her as she entered the room, a shocked expression on her face. The woman's gaze went from Miranda's face, following her arm to the two women's clasped hands, up Bianca's arm and, finally, her eyes landed on her face. Bianca, confused by this woman's expression of surprise, couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from her. Bianca noticed the copper hair that framed the woman's face and she felt the beating of her heart increase expeditiously and hadn't the slightest idea as to why this was happening. _Who is that?_ Bianca's brain had managed to ask herself.

On the other side of the room, Marissa couldn't believe what her vision was allowing her to perceive. She felt the familiar weakening in her knees return from the past as the palpitations in her body had woken her heart, resurrecting from its designated grave behind her ribs. The butterflies that she thought had left their home in her stomach had managed to make their way back, twice their size, fluttering about joyously within her. And the soaring phoenix had managed to rise from the ashes, bursting from her chest, finally allowing her to breathe and find her voice.

"B-Bianca?"

Miranda stood still, completely unable to move and far too scared to speak. She quickly released her mother's hand and made to move toward Marissa, but the redhead was far quicker than Miranda was.

Marissa, unaware of anything or anyone else in the room, raced to Bianca's bedside, breathing heavily and enveloped Bianca into a loving embrace. She took a hold of Bianca's head, cradling it in her arms, allowing the tears to fall freely from their place. She breathed deeply and caught the fragrance of Bianca's head, it wasn't the same, but she knew it was the love of her life, nonetheless.

Miranda watched the two women whom she loved dearly reunite, even though it was one-sided. It left a bittersweet taste in her mouth and hadn't the slightest idea as to what she should do. She glanced to the three who were standing by the door, watching the scene unfold before them. No one made a move to pull Marissa away from Bianca. They were allowing Marissa this one thing before her world came crashing down on her, yet again. Tearing her gaze from Kendall, AJ and Griffin, Miranda looked at Bianca whose expression was clearly written. She hadn't the slightest idea who the woman hugging her was, but then Miranda saw something. Bianca had decided to return Marissa's envelopment.

Bianca's fingers had grazed the soft copper hair and she loved the feel of it. Clearly, the woman hugging her was important to her in some way, or she, Bianca, was important to this woman. Whoever she was, Bianca didn't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable in hugging her. It felt…relaxing. It made her feel calm. Then she could feel a tiny amount of pressure on her jaw line. The redhead's lips were pressed to the soft spot below her ear, which made Bianca's stomach jitter in the best way. Those lips moved away from her face and she felt the grazing of this woman's nose fall upon her cheek, which was soon replaced by her lips once more. It was all very surreal to the brunette. The feelings that were being ignited within her were making her lose control. Unwillingly, Bianca's eyes shut and she sighed as her senses were permeated by the scent that this other was supplying to her.

"Bianca?"

She shot her eyes open as the warm body that had been pressed against hers for the better part of two minutes was pulling away, slowly.

"Say something…" She said as a smile dawned on her face, cupping Bianca's face in her hands.

Bianca looked down at her hands that rested in her lap, which caused the other to release her and stand straight.

"Uh, mom? Maybe we should talk outside."

Bianca looked at Miranda who had addressed the woman. _Mom? Is this Marissa?_ Bianca thought as she looked between her and Miranda.

"Umm…" Bianca muttered. She quickly noticed that everyone's attention was on her. She pointed to the redhead and tilted her head in question.

"Y-you're Marissa, right?"

Miranda waited to see Marissa's reaction. _Oh crap…_ Miranda thought as she saw the smile on Marissa's face turn into a frown. The glint in her eye had begun to dim and was replaced with a flickering spark, which would certainly serve as fuel for the igniting fire of confusion and despondency that would eventually fill its place. Finally, willing herself to move, Miranda circled Bianca's bed and grabbed Marissa's hand.

"Mom, c'mon. Let's go outside. I'll tell you everything-"

"Miranda, what's going on?" She asked.

"C'mon," Miranda said softly as she began to tug her mom away from her mother's bed and towards the door. It took some effort at first, but Marissa had managed to tear her eyes away from her wife and follow her daughter out of the room. Griffin Castillo and AJ walked behind them, leaving Kendall alone with Bianca.

"Was that Marissa?"

Kendall nodded and went to stand by Bianca's side.

"So…she and I…we're close?"

Kendall didn't know what Bianca was fishing for. She had watched the interaction between the two of them that had just passed. It was clear to Kendall that her sister felt something when she looked at Marissa. She had to. Bianca didn't seem to want Marissa to pull away when she hugged her. To Kendall, it appeared as, once the initial shock fell from Bianca's face, there was a sense of tranquility that took over. That had to count for something, right?

"Yeah. You guys are best friends."

There was that phrase again. Miranda had said it to her and now Kendall had repeated it. This left Bianca with a number of unanswered questions and she didn't know which were the correct ones to ask. Dr. Castillo had made it clear that she would have to find out the answers to a lot of her questions on her own, most of which, she would hope, would be from memory. According to Kendall and the doctor, her memory was already in the process of coming back. She had remembered Spike, who had been born a year or two after what Michael Cambias did to her. But the space between was still black. She had remembered the fact that her mother was married to her Uncle Jack. She had to describe the wedding that she remembered. It was only the location and a few of the faces that she could recall, but it was enough information for Kendall to tell Griffin that it was their most recent ceremony, which had only taken place six years ago. The gaps were filling in, just slowly. Coming back to reality, Bianca decided that she should just ask Kendall the most basic questions. The ones that would simply require a 'yes' or a 'no.'

"So…Maggie and I aren't…?"

Kendall did her best to keep a straight, unhinged face that wouldn't reflect her inner expression and feelings for the woman who had broken her sister's heart multiple years ago. She didn't know how to answer the question.

"I…I'm not sure I'm exactly the right person to tell you that, Binx."

"Oh…" Bianca, Kendall could tell, was disappointed by her answer. But it was the truth.

"Bianca?"

A voice had interrupted the pair of them. A familiar voice entered the room. She sounded cautious, but brave, and the recognition of it caused Bianca to smile fully when she caught sight of the one it belonged to.

"Mom!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa still grasped Miranda's hand, afraid to let go, afraid that, if she did, Miranda would disappear. The lack of remembrance in Bianca's eyes when she looked at her, the questioning tone in her voice when she asked who she was, was enough to have Marissa doubt everything in her heart that she knew to be false. Miranda was still here. Bianca was here, but she really wasn't. Her doubt had sprung an inner debate, one side desperate to convince her that Bianca was home, well, and alive while the other part of her screamed that this was all just a dream because there was no way that Bianca would ever forget her…was there? Marissa was forced out of her reverie when she heard the voice of a woman she had come to know and love calling to her.

"Marissa."

She had accepted the hug from her mother-in-law, as Miranda released her hand, but despite the fact that Erica was trying to comfort her, Marissa still felt numb.

"How is she?" Erica asked. And when Marissa shook her head, sniffling and wiping the tears from her eyes, Erica looked to Miranda.

"As I feared." Those three words were enough from her granddaughter's mouth and had turned her attention back to Marissa who was now leaning against the wall in a light quiver. Miranda and AJ looked at each other and went to her. Being the adult she obligated herself to be, Miranda wrapped her arms around her mom. AJ found her other side and followed suit. The pair of them knew that Marissa wanted to be strong, but they were also aware that she was human and that emotions could always get the best of us. No matter how much she wanted to stay strong, Marissa found that, right now, she couldn't. She just couldn't. Griffin and Erica stood by, idly, watching the moment as Marissa's knees finally gave way and dictated her actions, bring her to the floor.

Erica touched Griffin's shoulder in a way that he knew what she was asking. The three by the wall were within earshot and they could hear everything that Griffin said about Bianca's condition. The moment he muttered the word 'amnesia,' Marissa couldn't help the thoughts that passed through her muddled mind. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out what Griffin was saying. She didn't know how she would be able to be around Bianca now, unable to touch her the way she had been longing to these past three years, unable to tell her everyday, for the rest of their lives, how much she missed her, how much she would always want her. She was being told that she couldn't tell her anything about their life together, what they had been through to get here, that Bianca would have to find out everything on her own. _Where are you? _Marissa's thoughts had called out Bianca's. _Come back to me…_

_It was warm and cloudless. The sun was beginning to set, saying its goodbyes to the world with the promise of tomorrow. It was ironic because it seemed to reflect the sentiments of each woman who stood, joyously, on the wooden, forest green bridge that overlooked the peaceful stream in the park. It threaded through the platform they stood on. They were surrounded by trees and bushes on every side. The lively and different greens made this place all the more beautiful. There were benches in certain places and it was at those spots that the views were the most breathtaking, the most serene. For miles, a path could be seen on either side of the creek, but it was the path to the right that would always capture Marissa Tasker's attention. _

_From where she stood on the overpass, the path she referred to came to an end where the river began. To the left there was a bench where, just two years ago, she had declared herself, her feelings for the brunette who was wrapped around Marissa's form, burying her face in the redhead's shoulder, placing gentle kisses on the exposed skin. To the right was the tree… Marissa had referred to it as 'their tree.' She often wondered if she should make good on Bianca's offer to carve their initials into it. They almost had a few times, but always seemed to be interrupted. It was then that Marissa figured that carving their names in that tree wasn't something that they could decide. But that never stopped Marissa from wanting to do it. That part of the park with the bench and the tree? That was their spot…_

"_C'mon," Bianca whispered, releasing Marissa's waist and running a soft hand down the length of her arm to clutch her hand._

"_What? Where we going?"_

"_You'll see…"_

_Marissa allowed herself to be, willingly, dragged through the park. If she were being honest, she didn't want to leave yet. She could stay all day cloaked by the green of the different trees and the pinks and oranges of the sky that twilight brought. She could spend the entire night in this place, not having a care in the world except for being with her girlfriend. The real world could wait. They reached the end of the bridge, but Bianca didn't head for where her car was parked. She took off in the opposite direction and it was at that moment when Marissa knew exactly where the two of them were headed. _

_Bianca stopped the moment they got to their spot. She let go of Marissa's hand walked over to the tree, examining it. She smiled when she saw that no one had yet to make any proclamations on it. This was their tree and it was time to make it official, according to Bianca. The rest of the world be damned. She was finally happy in a relationship, for once in her life, and it was lasting longer than any of her previous ones. Bianca had never been so happy in her entire life, except for the birth of her children, but that was in its own category of happy, as was this one. There was a euphoric feeling that settled within her whenever she saw Marissa and it was one that she refused to let go of. She was told that love dimmed. The candle the once burned bright would, eventually, lose some of its light. This, she found, wasn't the case for her and Marissa. Their 'candle' had melted away completely and set their surroundings on fire. Their small flame had grown so much to the point where anyone who tried to put it out would only get burned. Bianca didn't love Marissa the same amount as she had the first day. No. It had grown into so much more._

_Marissa looked around and then back at Bianca who had moved her gaze from the tree to her girlfriend and extended her hand. Taking it, Marissa moved closer to Bianca and wrapped her arms around Bianca's torso, causing their hands to break apart. They simply stood there, relishing in the tranquility the park brought to them._

"_Do you have to go tomorrow?" Marissa asked as she looked up at Bianca._

"_I know, it sucks. But I'll only be gone a couple of days. Three tops!"_

"_Three days too long."_

_Smirking, Bianca pulled Marissa closer and began to chuckle._

"_All this time…the entire two years we've been dating, I've never been away from you longer than eight hours," Bianca stated. "We're jumping from eight hours to three days."_

"_You're not gonna forget me, are you?" Marissa asked in a joker's tone. _

_Bianca stiffened. She knew it was a jest, but it didn't settle right with her. She guessed that she had been silent for too long because Marissa's hand had come to rest on her cheek, forcing her eyes to gaze into Marissa's._

"_Babe, it was a joke."_

"_I know. I know… You know I'd never forget you, righ-"_

_Marissa nodded. _

"_Of course not. No, I know that." She grinned and leaned up to capture Bianca's lips and kissed her, fiercely but quickly._

"_Good…" _

"_God, this is gonna be so hard," Marissa said._

_Bianca grabbed the hand that was on her cheek and guided the two of them over to the bench and sat down. She pulled Marissa into her lap and wrapped her arms, loosely, around her waist._

"_I know, but just remember, I'm gonna be there wishing I was here with you and the kids the entire time." Bianca nuzzled Marissa's neck who only moved closer at Bianca's touch._

"_I know. You're expanding. You're giving people a chance. I just wish you could do it from here, that's all."_

_Sighing into Marissa's neck, Bianca remained there, murmuring into the creamy skin, causing goose bumps to rise._

"_I know. But the time we're apart, just remember, I love you and don't forget it. The entire time that we're apart, don't forget that for a second."_

A door had closed. Marissa looked up from Miranda's shoulder after hearing the sound and noticed that Erica was no longer there. She saw Griffin looking at them and then realized that her tears subsided.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. I think so."

"You think you can go back in there?" AJ asked from his position next to her.

Marissa nodded and strived to stand. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"Okay," Miranda said, watching her mom rise to her feet and she and AJ followed suit. They could see Marissa look to the door and AJ took his mother's hand. The pair of them walked toward it. Looking at her, he lowered his head and kissed her temple in an encouraging way. Marissa looked up at him and squeezed his hand, appreciating him being there. He placed his hand on the door and they entered the room as Miranda and Griffin followed them.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Erica Kane did her best to put on a brave face, but she simply couldn't. Seeing her baby girl after all this time brought joyous tears to her eyes and she had to run to her side the moment Bianca had called to her. She embraced her daughter, as tight as she could without causing her sore physique any more pain. Pulling away, she caressed Bianca's face, brushing the pieces of hair that had fallen out of place.

"How are you sweetheart?"

"I'm okay. How are you Mom? How's everyone? Uncle Jack?"

"Everyone is okay. Your Uncle Jack is good. I'm so happy that you're okay."

Bianca took a hold of Erica's hand.

"Well, as much as I can be…given everything."

"Of course, of course." The room had gone silent for a few seconds then Erica continued. "We're going to find them. I promise you. We're going to find those bastards who did this to you and we're-"

"Mom?" Kendall interrupted. "I think, maybe, Bianca's on the tired side. Maybe we can save the rant for another day?"

Before anyone could say another word, the door had opened. A young, blonde man, with a hand in his pocket had entered with Marissa. The three Kane women noticed the four people who had entered the room and the tension had risen a bit.

"I hope we aren't interrupting?" AJ asked.

The three women shook their heads.

"No, not at all," Bianca said, as she grinned. The blonde boy made his way over to the bed, extending his hand in the process.

"We haven't had a chance to be introduced, actually. I-I'm AJ, Marissa's son."

Bianca took his hand and shook it lightly.

"Miranda and you are siblings?"

"Uh, yeah…twins. Not biologically, but we're born on the same day and grew up together so, I think, we're as good as."

"That's cool."

"Yeah," he said, grinning. "I'm glad you're home. My mom missed you a lot."

Bianca looked past AJ to Marissa. The two of them simply looked at each other, kinds smirks coming to both of their faces.

"Well, Dr. Castillo. When can Bianca go home?" Erica inquired.

"Well, Ms Kane, I'd like to keep her here for observation. Nothing looks bad, but it's just a precaution and she can leave Saturday morning if all goes well. And, I dunno about anyone else, but I'm exhausted and I'm sure Bianca here is and she needs her rest, so I think it's best if everyone lets her."

"Well, Griff I gotta stay. Miranda Center is…" Miranda began.

"Yeah, right, right."

"I have a question," Bianca said. Everyone looked to her. "Umm…when I leave this place, where exactly am I going?"

"Well, Binx, uh you live with Marissa and her kids."

Bianca turned her gaze back to Marissa who remained silent. She had grinned momentarily; unable to say anything, even thought she wanted to. She resorted to a kind and simple nod.

"Oh…"

"Look, you don't _have_ to come back with us," Miranda said from her spot in the doorway. "I mean, we'd love to have you back, but if you're uncomfortable, we understand. I'm sure Kendall or…your mom would love to have you as well."

"Yeah, Binx. You don't have to decide right now. If you want, maybe, if it's okay with Marissa, we could bring you to the house and you could spend some time there. See if anything is familiar? Or just see how you are in the place? If it makes you uneasy, you could always move in with me."

"It's up to you Bianca," Erica said.

Bianca didn't know what to think. Everything was so new to her. It overwhelmed her quite a bit. She looked around and didn't know if she was supposed to decide right then and there. Tears formed in her eyes as the confusion settled in.

"I-"

"Uh, maybe she…she should sleep on it?"

Marissa had finally spoken and Bianca sighed in relief, thankful for the interruption.

"Right. Sorry," were the murmurs echoing throughout the room.

"Yeah and, actually, I am kinda tired." Bianca slipped in.

Kendall had said her goodbye, promising to be back by the time Bianca woke up. She had offered to stay, but Bianca knew that she had a family to go home to and encouraged her to leave, saying that she'd be just fine and that she was in good hands. Erica had fought tooth and nail to stay as well, but Bianca convinced her otherwise. She knew that Uncle Jack was probably pacing the floors waiting for her mother to get home. Miranda showed them out and Griffin followed, heading for the next room so he could get some sleep, leaving AJ, Marissa and Bianca alone.

"Well, I'm gonna get going. Bianca, it's good to have you home." He was hesitant, but he hugged her anyway.

"Thank you AJ."

AJ turned to Marissa.

"Mom? Can I take you home?"

She shook her head.

"No, I'm staying."

"But Mom-"

"I said I'm staying."

He didn't push it any further. AJ simply kissed Marissa on the cheek and muttered a farewell. When he left the room, he left the door open behind him.

Bianca and Marissa were still in the silence. Finding her courage, Marissa willed her legs to move and walked closer to Bianca's bedside.

"You must be tired," Bianca said. "There's a chair right behind you."

Marissa looked directly behind her and, sure enough, there it was. Marissa moved for it, dragging it to where she had been previously standing and then began to chuckle.

"What?" Bianca asked.

"Nothing, it's just…there you go again, thinking of anyone other than yourself. Some things never change… If I'm tired then what does that make you?" She asked as she sat down, resting her hands on the bed in front of her.

"Oh, I know I won't be able to sleep. I just needed everyone to leave. It was getting a little hectic."

"If…if my being here is inconveni-"

"No, no, it's fine." Bianca moved her hand and covered Marissa's with it, whose eyes had fallen to them the moment she felt their skin connect. Noticing the nervous look in Marissa's eyes, Bianca went to remove her hand, but Marissa's grip only tightened. The action caused her to look at Marissa's face. It was then that Marissa realized that her gesture might have caused Bianca to be frightened and she released her hand.

"I'm sorry," Marissa apologized.

"No, it's okay."

"No, it's not. You…you don't know me…remember me and I keep – I keep forgetting that and I'm sorry." Marissa took a deep breath and clasped her hands together. She looked up to the ceiling, trying to keep her tears at bay and in control before she continued. "I…I know this is hard on you or, at least, it's gonna be hard on you and I want you to know that I'm here for you if you need someone. I know you have Kendall and your mom, but if you ever need or want a different perspective or just someone different to talk to, I'm here. I'm going to be here for you because I…l-love you."

Bianca had begun to smirk and grabbed Marissa's hands again. She could hear the sincerity in this woman's voice and something from within told her that she could believe her. Marissa was important to her, a great friend.

"Thank you."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda had fallen asleep on a cot in the room adjacent to Bianca's. By the time her head had hit the pillow, she realized that it was almost 4:45 AM. She didn't know how long it had taken her to fall asleep, but she managed to after all that had happened in a single early morning. She was jolted awake after a small number of hours by a voice screaming.

"NO!"

Her eyes shot open and her breathing increased.

"NO!"

Miranda sprung from the cot and ran into the hallway. She saw Griffin on the other end of it. The two of them paused, not knowing what they were waiting for.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"

They bolted down the hall, heading for Bianca's room.

"GET OFF OF ME!"

When they came to the open door, Griff moved to enter the room, but Miranda held a hand to his abdomen, stopping him. She was caught staring at the picture before her.

"Just watch," she whispered, forcing Griffin to see what she was talking about.

The moment Bianca groaned in distress, Marissa jerked awake. She could see her wife shaking violently in her sleep. She was all too familiar with this. She listened as she heard Bianca scream, fighting whoever she saw behind closed eyes. Marissa knew what she used to do on the rare occasions that Michael Cambias came to visit Bianca in her dreams. She knew what Bianca was going through and she knew what to do, but she didn't know if it would have the same effect anymore. Bianca couldn't remember her, would it make a difference?

"GET OFF OF ME!"

"Screw it," Marissa whispered and she bolted off of her chair and sat on the bed off to the side, in front of Bianca. "Baby, c'mon, wake up." She said quietly, in the soft tone that she would always use.

"GET AWAY!"

Marissa reached for Bianca's face, placing her hands, tenderly, on either side of her face, pulling the brunette so she sat upright. "Bianca, wake up. It's not real. It's not real," she said and she kissed Bianca's forehead. She kept whispering into her wife's head and when she felt Bianca calm down, Marissa pinned their heads together and began to move her right hand, gently, up and down Bianca's cheek.

"It's over. It's all over. He can't hurt you. I promise no one will ever hurt you again." Marissa placed another kiss on Bianca's head before replacing it with her own again, causing their noses to brush against each other.

"I'm here now."

"Marissa?" Bianca managed to mumble once she calmed down, weeping lightly.

Marissa opened her eyes, which bore into Bianca's. Bianca stared right back and ran a hand up Marissa's arm. It settled over top Marissa's and they just sat in silence.

Griffin let out the breath he had been holding and looked down at Miranda who was smiling softly, looking at her two moms.

"Some things never change."

o.o.O.O.o.o


	7. Decisions

The papers are hating me as equally as I hate them so at least it's a mutual feeling. Hope you like

Enjoy!

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Griffin's POV**

Decisions… "A choice made between alternative courses of action in a situation of uncertainty." I read that definition somewhere, a college textbook or maybe Google. I can't remember or maybe I just don't think that you care where I saw it. The point is, is that I saw it and that's what that word means. It's funny. We don't really think about it, but when you decide to, think about this. Everyday you wake up; you make a decision in every moment: to get out of bed or go back to sleep; to go to work…or school I guess or stay home; to eat breakfast or skip it; drive, take the bus, or walk; if you're in school, do you pay attention to what your teacher or professor is saying or do you text your best friend? Then there are the more trying decisions… Do you stay faithful to the one you love or give into the temptation of seduction by a stranger; do you trust your instincts when they tell you to hold on or do you let go because things are tough; do you allow yourself to be beaten by the hand that life has given you or do you go all in, raise the stakes and beat life at its own game?

As a doctor I'm faced everyday with the decision making process. If someone comes in, do I stitch him or her up and send them home or do I perform surgery? If I do the surgery, which procedure best suits the case in question? Once that is determined, what do I do if something goes wrong? What if their heart fails? Do I defibrillate or do I use CPR? Both? All of a sudden I'm the one whose hands this life is in – do I keep up with my ministrations and hope they survive or do I admit defeat and allow a life to be taken? The ones who survive, when they wake up, a lot of them ask to see the people they know and love. What happens when memory loss is a factor and the one they are asking about is no longer in their life? Do you find that person for the patient or realize that, somewhere down the line, they just might remember the reason why that individual isn't in their life anymore?

Choose.

Pick.

Decide.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Griffin Castillo didn't know how he was able to fall asleep after what he had seen happen in Bianca's room with Marissa. It had completely fuddled his mind and he had thought about it at great lengths…multiple hours (or so it felt) after he and Miranda had left the doorway. In all his years as a doctor, not once had he seen any interactions like the one from earlier that morning and most certainly not in his amnesic cases…never in those patients. Looking at his watch, he noted the time. It was currently 8:00 AM and even though he had less than 5 hours of sleep, he had never felt happier to be awake or so well rested.

He walked into the room that Bianca had occupied and the sight he walked in on brought a curious smirk to his face. Marissa sat in the chair that he had seen her spring from only a couple of hours prior. She was leaning forward, her head resting, comfortably, on Bianca's mattress as her hands held a firm grip on Bianca's right hand. When he looked at Bianca, he noticed that she was sleeping on her side with her left hand underneath the pillow. Her right hand had an equally strong grip on Marissa's. He smiled and walked into the room as quietly as he could. All he wanted to do was see if there was any change in Bianca's vital information.

Moving throughout the room, trying his best to be stealth, he made his way around Bianca's bed so he could get a better look at the beeping screen. Watching the heart monitor, Griffin noticed one change in Bianca's statistics and they were for the better. Her heart rate had become increasingly slower as opposed to the rapid rate that it had reached earlier that morning and it was steady.

Griffin heard a rustling to his right and noticed that one of the ladies had opened their eyes. Smiling, he whispered "g'morning."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_Bianca closed the door to a man's back as Marissa walked past her, further into her mother's home._

"_Umm, is it my imagination or…did I just walk in on a really uncomfortable moment between you two?"_

_Bianca shook her head, walking closer to Marissa, squeezing her fists, trying to calm herself down._

"_Uh…no. It was just a, a little…misunderstanding, that's all," she replied, rubbing her arm. It settled upon her wrist as she gazed at Marissa's face and took a deep breath. The familiar ball of nerves settled in the pit of her stomach, as it always did when she and Marissa were in the same room. "What's up?"_

"_I-I'm just worried about you. Your office said you were here. Is there any word about your mother?" _

_For a moment, Bianca allowed herself to get lost in the worry that was evident in her best friend's eyes…only for a moment._

"…_Yes..uh, they, they sent a…tape. She's been kidnapped."_

"_Oh! Oh my God, Bianca-" Marissa made to move forwards, but she only shifted an inch before Bianca interrupted her._

"_Yeah, uncle Jack and Caleb are working on it… But I haven't heard a word… I'm scared to death that something's gonna go terribly wrong…"_

_Bianca was too busy looking at the concerned expression on Marissa's face that she didn't notice that her friend had wrapped her hands around her own to comfort her. It wasn't until Marissa opened her mouth to speak that Bianca had released her own hands from Marissa's soft grip._

"_Is there anything I can do to help?"_

_Bianca moved away from her friend and walked toward the couch. She rounded the coffee table._

"_Uh, I wish there was… Everyone's gone off to…deal with it and I'm left here in the dark," she said, sitting down on the ivory and coffee black couch. Marissa, slowly, made her way to Bianca. She stood in front of the coffee table._

"_Well, did they call the police?"_

"_No," Bianca said a little forcefully. "No, she said not to do that…that they would hurt her. …Uncle Jack and Caleb are working on it. They think they have a lead as-as to where she is." Bianca voiced, trying to sound secure. Trying to convince herself that things would be okay. "So, they're, they're looking for her now." But the thoughts that provoked her had Bianca losing all of her resolve. "…I dunno what I'm gonna do if anything happens to her."_

_The tears were coming. She could feel it, but before they had a chance to leave her big brown eyes, Marissa had moved at light speeds to comfort her._

"_Hey, just let me, umm," Marissa sat beside Bianca and took her hand. She did her best to ease Bianca's fear and console her worried heart. Marissa pulled Bianca's hand and rested it, lovingly, in her lap. "Lemme stay here with you, okay? At least until you hear something."_

_She didn't know how Marissa managed to calm her. Maybe it was the way she held her hand or the way she was concerned for her and what her family went through. Or maybe it was the way Marissa was looking at her, but, whatever it was, she managed to calm her down, if only for a split second. That single instant that was taken away and had thrown Bianca back into her whirlwind of distress. Her cell phone rang._

"_Oh," Bianca muttered, shooting her hand out to grab it. "Yes? …Oh! Thank God!" She felt Marissa's hand on her back. "Okay uh…yeah, I'll be right there!" She sighed in relief. Marissa tried hard to decipher everything written on Bianca's face. There was so much pent up emotion that had been released._

"_Oh! They found her. She's alive." Bianca said standing up and grabbing her purse. "They're on their way to the hospital, so I've gotta go."_

"_Okay, yeah, go I-I-I will lock up."_

"'_Kay," Bianca said and she was out the door._

She jolted awake from her dream. Her hand was numb beneath her head, but she felt relaxed. The bed underneath her body felt warm and comfortable. She wasn't used to this yet and she knew it wouldn't take too much if the beds she'd come in contact with were as fluffy as this one.

Looking around, Bianca came to realize where she was. It had slipped her mind momentarily, but then the event of the past 8 hours had come back to her. She knew where she was. Bianca went to move her hands to get up, but one of them was preoccupied. She stopped herself and could do nothing but stare at her hand intertwined and sandwiched between Marissa's. Bianca smiled. Then she frowned. This woman was her best friend, so why did she feel this? There was something very familiar about Marissa, yet something foreign. Was it because she couldn't locate a memory of her within her brain? Or was it that, regardless of the way that Marissa had taken care of her earlier, she couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. This unsound suspicion that Bianca had about Marissa was beginning to scare her. And then, she saw it.

Marissa's left hand left Bianca semi-blinded as the light hit it and shone its path into her eyes. The shimmering stone glimmered from a white-gold setting and it rested above a plain silver band.

_Marissa's married?_

"G'morning."

Bianca turned her attention to the voice and jumped a bit.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Griff whispered. "Sleep well?"

"N-no, it's okay. Sorry, I'm focusing on things I shouldn't be," Bianca said looking at her and Marissa's hands, yet again. "And yes, I slept well. Thank you."

"'Things you shouldn't be focusing on?'" Griff asked and noticed Bianca's expressions change from confused to contemplative as she watched Marissa sleeping. "Is there something you'd like to ask me Bianca?"

She tore her eyes away from her best friend.

"How long have you known me?" She asked.

"A while…actually, a lot longer than a while."

"So, then Marissa and I?" She asked, not wanting to complete the question, fearing what Griffin would say.

"Well…you two, as Kendall told you, are best friends." Noticing the befuddled look that bore Bianca's fragile facial features, he was quick to reassure her in some way. "Look, Bianca, I know that you want to figure everything out right now, but you need to give everything some time. I know it sucks that you can't remember the life you want to know about, obviously, but you've been through a lot. Telling you everything now-"

"Would only 'hinder' my recovery. Yeah, I know. I just…"

"I know," Dr. Castillo, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Until I see you strong enough that you can take everything, you're gonna have to kinda stay in the dark about the big details. I know you Kane women are stubborn, but that's the way it has to be."

Bianca gave a slight chuckle.

"I know, but there are so many things that I still don't know. Like, Kendall and Miranda told me that Marissa's my best friend, but I spent the last three years thinking that Maggie was my best friend."

"Wh-…are you disappointed-?"

"No! No. Not at all. I just want…I just wanna know what happened. I-"

"Mmm…"

Bianca and Griffin heard the low moan coming from Marissa's mouth. She began to stir and, when she opened her eyes, Marissa couldn't see anything or anyone. Her focus was entirely on the beautiful brunette that she had spent the last three years without. She had almost doubted where she was and what was happening, but when it dawned on her that Bianca was, in fact sitting in front of her, she smiled and it only grew when she noticed that their hands were still bound together in a firm clasp.

"Hey you," Marissa said softly.

"Hi…" Bianca replied as gently as Marissa had.

"How you doing? You okay?" Marissa asked.

"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine." She felt Marissa's grasp on her hand tighten a bit and then it loosened. She looked to their hands. It seemed it was all she had done in the last 20 minutes that she had been awake. "Umm…th-thank you…about last night?"

"No, no, it's…it's okay. You don't have to thank me. I…it's what I'm here for…someone to fight your demons with."

Griffin could only smirk to himself when he realized that when it came to the two women in the room, he didn't exist. He watched their interaction and it still amazed him. He had never, in all of his years as a doctor, seen any two people, friends, family or in love, interact the way these two were right now. They just seemed so at peace in each other's company even though Griffin knew that Marissa was trying her absolute best to keep from doing anything more than holding Bianca's hand or hugging her when she needed it. And he knew that Bianca wanted, very much, to remember Marissa for one reason or another. However, there was something that aggravated him and he knew what had to be done about it.

"Knock, knock!" Said a voice by the door.

All three heads looked in its direction and a curly haired brunette graced the doorway.

"Kendall!"

"Hey Binx, Red, Griff. How was everyone's night?" Kendall walked into the room and stopped at the foot of Bianca's bed.

"Well," Griffin said. "She had a small case of…well, umm…she had a night terror. But Marissa seemed to be the remedy for that. She really calmed her down. But, other than that, I think it went smoothly."

"Night terror? Binx. Wh-"

"No, it's…I'm okay. Marissa helped me. She…she was…incredible," Bianca said, whispering the last word.

"That's good Binx."

"Wow, it's a full house in here."

Miranda walked in, rubbing her eyes and smiling at everyone in the room. She stopped beside Marissa and placed a kiss on the crown of her head.

"Morning mama," she said before turning to Bianca. She had to stop herself from blurting out 'mom' in her presence or just rushing to her. She found that her self-control was being tested and had decided that it was one test she wouldn't fail. "Morning Binx…do you mind if I call you Binx?"

Bianca smiled.

"Call me whatever you want."

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" Kendall exclaimed when Miranda hadn't greeted her.

Embarrassed, Miranda left Marissa's side and walked towards Kendall. "G'morning Kendall."

"Good morning Miranda. Oh! Before I forget, Binx?" Bianca looked from Miranda to Kendall. "Mom called me and told me that she'll be by later on _and_," Kendall said turning to Miranda. "She told me to tell you to give her a call before 12:00 to finalize everything for next weekend."

"Okay," Miranda nodded.

"What's next weekend?" Bianca asked.

"The Miranda Center is opening the Safe Houses…officially." Miranda explained. "You're welcome to come…if you're up to it."

"Umm I…I'll think about it…if that's okay."

"Of course." Miranda smiled and then she noticed her mothers' hands. She took a deep breath of content and continued. "Oh, mom. Gabby called. She said they're spending the day at-"

"Oooh, yeah. Marissa the kids are at my place with Zach. They're gonna call you soon." Kendall finished.

"Okay. Thanks Kendall."

"Well, clearly I am not even in this room, so I'm going to go and do some paperwork, make a few phone calls and I'll leave you ladies."

Dr. Castillo began to make his way to the door after giving the bed a light pat. Before he got too far, Kendall stopped him.

"Griff, could you take a look at Miranda's arm, please?"

Griffin furrowed his brow.

"Why are we taking a look at Miranda's arm?" Miranda asked, slowly with a hint of an edge evident in her tone.

"That job that idiot did in the field didn't look right when you showed me the other day. It could get infected."

"Really? You're gonna do this now, Kendall? In front of my mom? Seriously? This couldn't wait?"

"What is she talking about, Miranda?" Marissa asked.

"Ma, it's nothing. Kendall? What the hell? I'm fine."

"Then let Griff take a look at it. He'll make that decision."

"Okay, I need to see what I'm looking at." Griffin finally voiced.

The room went silent and Miranda stared down Kendall with a menacing look. She shifted her gaze to Marissa who looked worried and knew that it would only be cruel to leave her in the dark.

"Fine…but no one screams, mom," Miranda directed to Marissa, "or comments, okay?"

There was a round of nods and Marissa finally let go of Bianca's hand as she watched Miranda remove her sweater. Seeing the deep and lengthy gash on her arm made her angry and sick at the same time. It wasn't stitched properly. At best, it was a rough and quick piece of work.

"Ouch," Griffin said. "Who did this to you?"

"What? The cutting or the stitching?"

"Is that what happened earlier this week?" Bianca asked from the bed. Marissa turned to her with a questioning face.

"What do you mean? Miranda, what is she talking about? I thought you said you didn't find her."

"Marissa," Griffin said. "I think I should look after this first. Then you two can talk this out?"

Nodding, Marissa conceded and watched as Griffin and Miranda left the room.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda sat on a bench in the hallway of the Safe House. Griffin was, carefully, re-stitching her arm up and had been silent, not questioning who had cut her or why or when it happened. When it came to Miranda Montgomery there were a lot of things that Griffin Castillo refused to ask. The reason was that he knew who she was. She was a Kane woman: stubborn and protective. He also knew that she loved fiercely, just like her mother…both of them and that was reason enough for him. Looking at the 18-year-old girl before him, even though he never asked her anything, there was one matter in which he had no choice.

As he finished the last stitch and cleaned up the dry blood, Griffin Castillo spoke.

"Miranda…has Bianca mentioned a 'Maggie' to you at all?"

"Yeah, why?"

Sighing, Griffin placed the last of the used tools into their tray and removed his gloves before continuing.

"Umm…this is gonna be a very lengthy process, Bianca recovering what she can of her memory. Usually, in cases like this, the best way to move that process along is to present the patient in a stimulated environment. Now, there are certain people who will dwell on certain areas of their past that they are comfortable with. It's…it's a security thing. Having someone they were close to from their past who was part of… Like…someone who they know from the time that they're in, you know?"

Miranda looked at Griffin with disbelief.

"Lemme see if I get what you're saying Griff… Are you asking me to contact Maggie Stone because you think that if she's around, my mom's memory will come back faster? Or she can act as someone my mom can go to because she's comfortable around her? Am I…am I hearing you right?"

"I think it's something we should consider."

"Consider?" Miranda asked, growing angry. "Consider? Consider this Dr. Castillo. Maggie Stone is _not_ the key to my mom's brain so don't act like she is."

"Miranda, you obviously have some personal issues with this Maggie person and you need to let go of them to help Bianca get better."

"Okay, let's get _one_ thing perfectly clear Griff. You know me. I'm rational, or more rational than kids my age. I _am_ thinking about my mom. Maggie Stone is not the answer. Do you know what that bitch did? Do you know what she put my mom through? She betrayed her. Betrayed her in one of the worst possible ways to treat someone you claim to be in love with. Griff what happens when her memory comes back and she sees Maggie here? All of that stuff is going to come back and haunt her all over again. It's not healthy. Not to mention, if you were to even speak of this idea to my grandmother and Kendall they'll have your ass! So no. Hell no! There is not a chance that I will even consider wasting my time tracking down Maggie Stone and bringing her to Pine Valley. If you wanna do it then _you_ make the call. But know this Dr. Castillo, _if_ I see her in Pine Valley, I'll know _exactly_ who to go for. This is not negotiable."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Kendall held out a photo of her daughter.

"We named her after you. You should see her Binx, she's exactly like mom."

"Well then, we know she's gonna be okay in life then…and anyone who pisses her off, watch out!"

A cell phone rang in the room and Marissa recognized it to be her own. She apologized for the interruption and answered it when she recognized Kendall's house number.

"Hello?"

"_Hi mommy!"_

"Nathan. Hi baby. Are you being good for Gabby?"

"_Lemme talk to her,"_ Marissa could hear Sofia say in the background.

"_Wait, it's my turn Fia,"_ he replied. _"Is Gabby right mommy? Did you really find momma Binx?_"

Marissa turned around and looked directly at Bianca.

"Yeah, baby. She's right here with me."

"_Yeaaaaah! Fia, she's with mommy," _he exclaimed. _"Lemme talk to her Nafan!" _Sofia whined.

"_Can we talk to her?"_ Marissa's heart broke in her chest. She had yet to contemplate how she would tell her younger ones about Bianca's condition. How do you tell two 4-year-olds that their mother didn't know who they were?

"Not right now baby. She's really tired."

"_Oh…okay. Here Fia wants to talk," _Nathan said.

"_Hi mommy!"_

"Hey baby girl. How are you? Are you being good?"

"_Yeah, we're having fun! Uncle Zach made us bwreakfast!"_

"I'm glad you're having fun baby. I have to go, but I'll call you later, okay?"

"_Okay momma. I lub you! And tell momma B we lub her too and miss her and we want her to come home."_

"I will Sofia. I love you and tell Nathan I love him too."

"_Bye mommy!"_

Marissa hung up with her two precious angels and stuffed her phone back into her purse.

"Sorry about that. They heard that you were home and got excited."

"Uhh, who?" Bianca asked.

"My two younger ones. Sofia and Nathan. They said that uh, they miss you and 'lub' you."

Bianca's heart melted. And then it broke.

Marissa spoke of her two children missing her and it made her feel elated and sad at the same time. Here were two innocent children who had received news that she was safe and the pair of them were over the moon about it, but she hadn't the slightest idea who they were or what they looked like. She didn't know what their interests were or what food they liked to eat. It pained her to know that there were these two kids who, by Marissa's mood when she spoke to them, sounded phenomenal. She wanted to get to know them. She wanted to know everyone. She wanted to know the life she had before things had left her. Bianca wanted to know what was on the far end of the black.

"Umm…so when I get out of here," she asked Marissa and Kendall. "When can I go home?"

"Umm, home?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah…I live with Marissa, right?"

o.o.O.O.o.o


	8. Promises

I'm BACK! Miss me? Enjoy!

_No matter what you do, you know I'll always love you; well I have to… 'cause I promised._

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Nathan & Sofia's POVs**

A prwomise? Ummm…it's when someone makes you a pinky swearw.

They say they are gonna do somefing and they have to do it.

Yeah, or else they brweak it.

Our mommies make us prwomises. Then they pinky swearw and lock it up tight.

And we make pinky swearws too!

Mimo and AJ told us that our mommies made special ones.

On their wedding.

Yeah.

Junior saaaid that those ones were forwever.

That's a loooong time.

AND Junior prwomised to bring Momma Binx home and NOW she's coming home!

THAT meeeeans that Mimo didn't brweak it AAAND thaaat means Nafan gets pepperwoni pizza.

YUP! And Mommy won't crwy.

Yeah. AND she'll stop being silly!

Silly?

She took down the pitture!

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Mommy's coming home! Mommy's coming home!"

"WHOA! Slooow down there girly!" Gabby said as she took Sofia, picking her up from behind after chasing her around the halls upstairs. The two of them walked down the staircase and headed for the family room where they spotted Marissa making a few adjustments to the room.

"Umm, what are you doing?" Gabby asked, noticing the large portrait that leaned against the couch.

"What do you mean?" Marissa said.

"That," Gabby said pointing to the large frame full of photographs, "used to be on the wall. Why are you taking it down?"

"Yeah Mommy. Then Momma B might be sad."

Marissa sighed. She hated having to take down the one display of their family. There had been an overload of picture frames throughout the house and Bianca thought things were becoming a little cluttered. She had gathered every picture on the main floor and spent an entire afternoon formatting them and putting them into a large frame. When she was satisfied with her work, she hung it up in the family room and there it was on display for everyone to see. It had taken a while for Marissa to get used to such an enormous chassis greeting her every time she had step foot in the room. But now, looking at the empty space that it had occupied for so long a time, she couldn't fathom it not being there to welcome her.

"_Hello? Bianca? …Babe! Where are you?" Marissa yelled as she walked through the hallways of their home._

"_I'm in the kitchen!"_

_Marissa walked into the kitchen, placing her purse onto a chair and noticing the slew of photographs scattered all over the table._

"_Why didn't you answer me?" _

"_God, woman, you shoulda just kept walking. You woulda seen me eventually."_

"_What fresh hell is this?" Marissa giggled. "What are you doing?"_

"That's_ how you greet me?"_

"_It is when you call me 'woman.'" Marissa smirked mockingly._

"_Oh, I didn't know that me calling you 'woman' offended you."_

"_It's not the word, it's how you used it…woman!"_

_This had earned Marissa a smirk and a light-hearted laugh from Bianca. Marissa moved from one end of the kitchen to the other, placing her hands on Bianca's shoulders, leaning over to see what she was so enthralled in. She recognized the pictures and began to look around and noticed that the small frames that used to be perched on the cabinet by the table were gone._

"_Sweetie? What is all this?"_

"_Nope! Not answering until I've been properly greeted. Until then my mouth is staying shu-"_

_Marissa, who had been standing over her wife, had placed her hands on either side of Bianca's face and tilted it backwards, quickly. It caused Bianca to be interrupted and silenced midsentence with an amorous and upside down kiss. _

"_Better?" Marissa asked, pulling away slightly, still hovering above Bianca's face. When she noticed the shocked look on her love's features, she grinned a little and licked her lips._

"_Much…" Bianca managed to mutter._

"_Good. Now tell me. What are you doing?"_

_Marissa moved from her place behind Bianca and pulled out a chair. She positioned herself comfortably into it and leaned on a hand._

"_I'm beginning to think that that 'hello' wasn't genuine." Bianca said, accusing Marissa._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_I feel used. Kissing me like that to get info. Not nice." She said jokingly._

"_Fine, I'll figure it out myself," Marissa said as she reached for a photo and yanking it from its position on the table. Noticing this, Bianca reached for it as well, stopping Marissa from picking it up, challenging her. Marissa tried to jerk her wrist, hoping the movement would be cause for Bianca to lose her momentum, but the tugging action only caused her hand to surge upwards. This led to Bianca's hand colliding with her eye._

"_Oh my God, Marissa. Are you okay?"_

_Squinting and trying to blink Marissa moved her head side to side._

"_Mneh…it's just my eye…" She winced. "Ahh, that hurts!"_

_Bianca rose from her seat and stood before Marissa. She bent down and took her face in her hands, examining the injured area._

"_Where did I get you?"_

"_Right here," Marissa said, pointing to the spot on her left cheek, where the curvature of her cheekbones met the soft tissue of her nose._

"_Okay." Bianca leaned forward and kissed the spot where Marissa had pointed. She lingered for a moment and pulled away slowly. "Better?"_

_Marissa nodded._

"_You promise?" Bianca asked._

"_Yup."_

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered. Nearly clenching her jaw, she tried to keep her temper in check.

Gabby, sensing Marissa's frustration turned to the little girl standing next to her.

"Hey, Fia, why don't you go and get Nathan? Mommy needs to talk to both of you."

The little girl fled out of the room, obeying her older sister. Gabby could see the gratitude written in her mother's face as she decidedly stopped her labours for a minute.

"So? Are you gonna tell me now or am I gonna have to wait until you start rambling under your breath again?"

Marissa sighed as she looked to Gabby.

"Dr. Griffin Castillo said that your mom can't know anything about her life except 'the basics'. She has to figure everything out on her own…that includes our life together and, as fate would have it, your mother wants to come back here."

Gabby scrunched her eyes.

"And that's a problem because…?"

"Well…it wasn't. I was really excited and happy that she decided to come home but then Griffin pulled me aside and told me to 'Bianca-proof' the house!"

"He told you to 'Bianca-proof' the house? He actually said those words?"

"Basically…so now anything that might trigger her to ask the big questions has to go."

"I thought triggers were the whole point of getting her memory back."

"Yeah, but he thinks that we should get her back into her daily routine as opposed to just flashing her a bunch of photos that will likely do more harm than good." Marissa sighed, bringing her thumb and index finger to her eyes, squeezing them gently to keep her tears in check.

"C'mere," Gabby said, extending her arms. She pulled Marissa in for a warm embrace, which she gladly accepted. Wrapping her arms around her daughter, Marissa sighed into her shoulder.

"We're gonna get through this… I promise."

"You've grown up so fast… What is it with you Montgomery women with being freakishly tall?"

Gabby chuckled.

"It's the reason Erica Kane is so freakishly tiny. Don't you know? We robbed her of her height."

Gabby's statement put a much needed smirk on Marissa's face.

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"

"I got him Mommy!"

Gabby looked from Marissa to the kids and back to her mother. A look of apprehension graced Marissa's face and Gabby hadn't the slightest idea what to do. She was well aware of the reason why that expression had made itself known and could only place a comforting hand on her mother's shoulder. It was meant to be encouraging and it earned her another grin. It was small, light and barely visible, but it was there.

"I'm gonna put this somewhere…your room maybe?"

Marissa nodded and mouthed a 'thank you' to Gabby as she watched her walk out of the family room with the large frame in her hands. The entire day, Marissa had been dreading the upcoming conversation that needed to be had with her two youngest children about their other mother. She still didn't know how all of this would play out and she wasn't in any rush to see the results, but she couldn't hold it off any longer. Bianca would be arriving in a few hours time and the kids deserved to know what was going on and why, when they saw her, she wouldn't recognize them. Marissa looked at Nathan and Sofia as they flashed her bright and excited smiles before she noticed Nathan's look of eagerness falter to one of worried contemplation.

"What's wrong Mommy?" He asked.

Marissa held out her hands to the children.

"C'mere you two."

The pair of them walked to her and she directed them to the couch. They climbed onto it, lazily positioning themselves in a comfortable manner before they raised their eyebrows, prompting Marissa to speak.

Kneeling before them, Marissa began the conversation she'd been terrified by.

"Okay…uhh…I know that you guys are excited about Mommy coming home-"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

Marissa smiled sadly before continuing.

"But there's something I have to tell you about Momma Binx and it's not very good…"

"Wha-happened?" Sofia asked.

Marissa looked from her daughter to her son whose eyes grew as worried and as pensive as her own may have seemed.

"Well…she's…" Marissa took a deep breath. "She can't remember who we are."

"Why not?" Nathan asked, sorrow evident in his voice.

"Umm…when she was away, the bad man did something to her head and it made her forget."

"So…she forgot us?" Sofia inquired.

"Not because she wanted to, sweetie. It's not her fault."

Nathan sighed.

"What now?"

"Now? Now we have to help her remember. Dr. Griffin said that we should help her."

"How?" Sofia looked at Marissa, tilting her head in question.

"By reminding her how much we love her _and_ we can tell her some stories-"

"Can we still make her 'Wewlcome home' cards?"

"Yeah, Gabby was helping us!" They both said, speaking over one another.

"Of course. I think she would love that."

"Where she gonna sleep Mommy?" Sofia asked.

"Umm," Marissa said. "She's going to sleep in the old room baby girl."

"Downstairs?" Sofia asked surprised.

"Yeah."

"What do we call her? Can we still call her 'Momma Binx'?" Nathan asked.

Marissa could feel her heart breaking at Nathan's question. She hesitated with her answer.

"No, baby, I'm sorry. Dr. Griffin said you couldn't…"

"So…what do we call her Mommy?" Sofia stepped in.

"Anything you want, but you can't call her 'Mommy'."

"Can we call her 'Binx'?"

"Or 'B'?"

"Of course."

"C'mon Sofia!" Nathan yelled as he sprung from his spot off of the couch and Sofia followed suit.

"Wh-" Marissa mumbled. "Seriously? Where are you guys going? Hey!"

Nathan and Sofia stopped in their tracks right in front of the stairwell and turned to look at their mother. They had mischievous smirks on their faces as they watched Marissa walk up to them. She kneeled before them, once more, and just looked at them. Sighing, she found her voice.

"Are you guys okay? I mean…if you're upset, you can talk to me. Ask me anything you want."

"No. I'm okay," Sofia said confidently.

"Me too, Mommy. And me and Fia have to finish our cards. So, can we go now?"

"Yeah, Momma Binx is gonna want our cards!"

Marissa raised her eyebrows in shock, not expecting the reactions that she had received from her children.

"Uh…yeah. Umm, well do I get hugs first?"

Both kids smiled and jumped into their mother's waiting and open arms. They each planted a kiss on either of her cheeks and then sprinted up the steps to their bedroom.

"They're smart, aren't they?"

Marissa turned around at the sound of Miranda's voice. She stood there, groceries in her hands.

"You just gonna stand there staring at me or we gonna get cooking?" Miranda asked smirking. She moved from the hallway to the kitchen and settled the bags on the counter. She was taking her coat off when Marissa had finally entered the kitchen. Looking at Marissa, Miranda noted that she was wearing, what Bianca had noticed and coined, as the 'we need to talk' look. An eyebrow was cocked, her lips were tightened into a thin line and her eyes widened to double their original diameter. Miranda sighed and tossed her coat, gently, onto a chair before turning to Marissa. She knew _exactly_ what Marissa wanted to talk about.

"Okay, go ahead. Yell. Lecture me."

"I don't yell."

"BAH! C'mon! Don't make me laugh."

"When have I _ever_ yelled at you?"

"Not me…but you and Mom have raised your voices when you argued…even if it didn't happen very often."

"Not the point Miranda."

"Sorry." She breathed heavily.

"Let's start cooking and we'll talk."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Your last 24 hours have been fantastic. I have no problem with you going home tonight. I'm gonna take a wild guess here and told Marissa you'll be there tonight?" Griffin said, flashing his signature smirk.

"Yeah," Bianca said, blushing. "I know it wasn't for sure, which is why I didn't make any promises, but I was hoping… I just really wanna get back to my life…even though I have _no_ idea what that entails."

Griffin chuckled.

"Well, I can assure you, it's something amazing. I swear it."

"Yeah, Binx. I wouldn't be okay with you going back there if it wasn't."

Griffin was shutting down all of the machines in Bianca's room as he and Kendall reassured her. The last few hours had been dull for Bianca and Griff could see it all too well. It was now 5:00 PM and other than the look on Bianca's face, Griff knew she was bored because of the way she struggled to stay sitting on her rear. It wasn't until 9:00 that morning that Griffin had given Bianca the green light on actually leaving her bed. She was extremely happy when she was told that she could move around. When she got out of the bed, she walked around the entire Safe House and couldn't stop smiling.

Now, Bianca sat at the foot of the bed, waiting on Griffin to lock everything up. He was going to drive her and Kendall to Kendall's place. After that, Kendall would take her sister to Marissa's house and could tell by the look on Bianca's face that she was excitedly anxious. It was obvious that she didn't know what to expect when she would walk through the doors of the house, but the thought of it possibly giving her back her memory was quite the feeling.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"I thought we were gonna talk while cooking," Marissa said as she moved around Miranda to check the chicken that was cooking in the oven.

"Hey you two!" Tammy had entered the kitchen through the back door from the pool house that Marissa had let her stay in. "What's going on in here?" She asked.

"Oh right. I didn't tell you. Uh…they found Bianca. She's coming home tonight."

"Really?" Tammy stated without emotion.

"Yeah. And she has retrograde amnesia so please don't say anything to her that would make her upset."

"Of course not. I promise your _secrets_ are safe with me…"

Marissa smiled with gratitude.

"You gonna stay for dinner Tammy?" Miranda offered, praying that Tammy's answer would be a flat-out 'no'.

"Oh…uh…no. No thank you. I've got to be somewhere actually. I'll see you ladies later."

Miranda and Marissa watched as Tammy left the kitchen, disappearing through the halls of the house. Looking at Marissa, Miranda sent her a look to continue where their conversation had left off before they were interrupted.

"Okay, I just can't understand _why_ you wouldn't tell me that you spoke to her…that-that you were actually in the same room?"

"I know, I know. It was stupid, but I dunno, I just…figured that if you knew that I found her, spoke to her, you'd wanna know what she had said. Truth is, she didn't know who I was and I couldn't tell you that. Plus if I had told you about getting cut in that fight, I didn't think you would let me go back out there and try to bring her home."

Marissa was wiping her hands with a dishcloth as she listened to Miranda.

"Miranda, I wouldn't have let you go back out there regardless."

"And you didn't. Like I said, it was stupid."

"That doesn't fix it, okay? That doesn't make this any better."

"I'm well aware of that!"

The room grew silent and, after a few seconds, Miranda spoke again.

"Look… I know that anything I say won't make up for anything or won't justify what I did because I put my life at risk. And it was like I was spitting in your face after all that you've done these past years. You loved Gabby and I unconditionally and you made my mom incredibly happy…happier than anyone else made her and I saw that. You know…Reese didn't fight for me or Gabby or even my mom, for that matter and she adopted both of us. You? You fought for all three of us before you legally adopted Gabby and I. That whole mess with JR? _If_ I had any doubts about you before then, they were washed away after the trial."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"My point is that I just wanted everything to go back to the way it was and I thought that I could actually do it; that I could actually bring her home. I hated seeing everyone so down in the dumps. I hated feeling depressed and then I would look at you and I could tell that you never slept. I know that I went about it the wrong way, but is it _so_ terrible and wrong that I wanted all of it?"

"Mommy! Look!"

Sofia came running into the kitchen, waving a folded piece of paper, decorated with a multitude of colours and images.

"Wait for me, Fia! Mommy has to see mine too!"

Marissa bent down to get a look at the two 'Welcome Home' cards that had been shoved into her hands. Each had drawn a picture of her playing them and a personal message was written on the inside. Looking up, Marissa noticed that Gabby had entered the room and was looking over the head of Nathan and Sofia, whose faces were riddled with hope.

"Well?"

"Well?"

"Yeah Mom…what do you think?"

Smirking, Marissa kissed both of her children and nodded.

"They're beautiful. She's gonna love them!"

"Can we go put them on her bed?" Sofia asked.

"Yeah! That way she can rwead them before she go to sleep."

"I think that's a great idea."

"Yeah. Umm, c'mon. Let's go put them in her room downstairs you two." Gabby said, sensing the palpable, nervous tension situated within the room between her sister and Marissa.

As they left the room, Miranda continued to dice the vegetables she needed, but could feel her mother's stare. Turning her attention from the carrot before her to Marissa, Miranda waited for her to say something…anything.

"About what you said… I know what you mean about wanting everything back to the way it was. And no, it's not a terrible thing. I just wish that you could've been more honest with me, you know? That you would trust me."

"I know," Miranda said, putting the knife down. "And I do. With everything and you're right. I should have been honest with you. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry you had to find out the way you did. I was gonna tell you myself after everything, but Kendall sorta bet me to it."

Marissa fired a delicate and heartwarming grin in Miranda's direction before moving towards her. Taking her by the shoulders, Marissa hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"By the way…you know you're grounded right?"

Miranda found herself giggling.

"Yeah, I figured."

"JUNIOR! Did you make the pizza?" Nathan had come running back into the kitchen and stopped right in front of Miranda's figure with an expectant expression evident on his young face.

"Pizza?" Marissa asked.

"Yeah Mommy. Mimo prwomised Nafan to make him and Momma Binx a pepperwoni pizza for when she come home." Sofia explained.

"Yeah! So? Did you make it?"

"Uh, no buddy. I'm sorry," Miranda knelt as she spoke.

"But you said-"

"I know, but I thought it was gonna be for Pizza Night like we always do on Wednesdays. I'm sorry Nate."

"They're here!" Gabby yelled from the hallway.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca's eyebrows rose into her hair when she saw the driveway to the house. It was easily over 150 feet long and it led to a large parking area. Where Bianca assumed the lawn was, now was covered in snow. The sparkles in the white blanket caught Bianca's attention as she stepped out of Kendall's vehicle. Looking up, she noticed the bright lamp light above her head as it illuminated the driveway. The colonial style house made her eyes widen even further, taking in the details of the columns framing the doorway. She couldn't believe that this was real.

"I live here?" She mused aloud and Kendall smirked. She guided Bianca up the steps to the front door.

"Yup. And it's even more beautiful on the inside…I promise."

o.o.O.O.o.o

It happened again! This chapter was originally A LOT longer so I was forced to cut it. I hope you enjoyed! Expect frequent updates this week!


	9. Rock

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Marissa's POV**

Have you ever tried to destroy a rock? You could be the world's strongest, most powerful, brawny person and a forceful throw against the ground isn't enough to even put a crack in it. Even at the intense velocities that a meteor collides with the earth isn't enough to demolish it. And what is a meteor? About 90% of it is rock. What does that tell you? That it's strong? It's solid? Unbreakable? Now, that's not saying that there aren't forces that won't try to shatter it to a billion pieces; explosions that will make the bits scatter anywhere and simply watch, laughing, while pieces are being picked up. Or it could drown. Do you know what water does to a rock? It gradually wears it away over time. It erodes it. Either way – explosion or drowning it – the rock gets fragmented and distributed. It probably doesn't look so strong at that point.

They say that rocks are a denotation of permanence, solidity and integrity. It symbolizes safety, refuge and protection. Sounds thoroughly human doesn't it? Have you ever found someone in your life who you went to for everything? It didn't matter what it was, but they were the one who offered you comfort, made you strong again. Whatever made you shatter to a million pieces, they would take the time to pick up every single fragment you left behind and bring them all back together. You didn't look the same or seem the same to yourself, but they sure as hell didn't notice the difference. And if they did, they loved you the same as they always had…maybe it grew. I know mine did.

What do you do then, when the tables have turned? Are you strong enough to offer them that comfort; the protection they need; that feeling of stability they need? Do you pick up the pieces of their fragmented life? Do you stay, wait for them to be okay? Follow them wherever they go?

_I had a nightmare  
>Woke to the sound of your voice but you don't sleep here<br>I lay awake in the dark  
>I've been screaming but you don't hear me at all<br>So here I go  
>'Cause when the daylight bends I'll follow you<br>And if the pavement ends I'll drive it off the road  
>When the daylight bends I'll follow you wherever you go<em>

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"I live here?" She mused aloud and Kendall smirked. She guided Bianca up the steps to the front door.

"Yup. And it's even more beautiful on the inside…I promise."

"Hey you two!"

Kendall and Bianca turned around at the sound of the happy, masculine voice that had made its way into their conversation. The blonde, shaggy hair of the young adult had Bianca smiling for reasons she couldn't understand.

"AJ."

"Hey," he said, smiling. His hands were in his pockets and his smirk turned into a full-fledged grin as he walked up the steps. "Hey A…Kendall."

"Hello AJ. You're here for dinner?" Kendall asked.

"Uh yeah. Yeah, my mom told me about it and I wouldn't miss it for anything." AJ smiled and turned to the door. "Shall we?" He asked and looked at Bianca.

"Yeah."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"They're here?" Marissa questioned. The jittery feeling that Marissa had had already been fully fledged and it took a lot of willpower to move her feet towards the door. She saw Gabby peeking through the curtain of the large window in the living room.

"AJ's here too. They're just talking." Gabby said. "You okay?" She asked Marissa as she noticed the deep breaths that she had been taking.

"Yeah. I'm perfect."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Sooo, there's _no_ pizza for tonight?"

"I'm afraid not little man."

Nathan remained the slightest bit desolate then his features transformed. His eyebrows creased and tilted his head as he turned it ever so slightly. His eyes widened as if a realization came over his youthful face. He puckered his nose up into the air and scrunched his lips before he voiced his thoughts.

"Do you think that…maaaybe Momma Binx can't remember that she likes pepperwoni pizza?"

Gabby walked into the kitchen and picked up Sofia.

"Guess who's at the door," she said to her little sister. Sofia grinned, blushed and then buried her face in Gabby's shoulder. "You ready?"

Sofia nodded and started to twirl her hair. Miranda watched as they went to stand in the frame of the entry to the kitchen and she turned her attention back to Nathan.

"I'm pretty sure she still loves pepperoni pizza Nate. _But_ if you wanna make sure…you could always ask her."

"Really?"

"Cheyeah!"

"Okay!" He held his hand out to his sister. "C'mon Junior."

It always surprised Miranda how intelligent and mature Nathan could be. In the situation they found themselves in, any child would be lost and confused. Throwing tantrums, crying for their mother, and questioning everything that they've come to know. A world turned completely upside down will have had to become the norm and a test of resilience would be forced upon them. When it came to Nathan, Miranda knew that he would take it and make the best of it. Nathan was optimistic and irrepressible. She stood and took Nathan's hand. He led the way and stopped beside Gabby who was still holding Sofia. Miranda wrapped her arms around him as she leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen entryway. Nathan rested against his sister, leaning backwards against her body. The four of them waited for Marissa to open the door and when a hand rose to knock, the five of them stood with excitement. Marissa looked at the four behind her, winked, smiled, and then opened the door.

"Hi," Marissa said softly seeing Bianca. She smiled equally as brightly as she stepped through the threshold and into the entrance hall of the house. She looked up; taking in the moldings and the way the large chandelier seemed to light up every dark corner. She moved to her left so that AJ and Kendall could follow suit. To the right of the entrance was a simple blockade, giving the house shape. To the left was the living room combined with the dining room. It was wide and long and she could see a grand piano positioned in the far corner facing the window. Directly in front of her was a semi-spiral staircase and the stairwell to the basement was to the left of the entryway to, what she assumed, was the kitchen. There, she noticed four individuals and smiled at them. She noticed a little girl, she knew it was Sofia, bury her face into the girl's neck, but still smirked at her. She recognized Miranda and saw the little boy standing in front of her. That had to be Nathan, which meant the girl holding Sofia was Gabrielle.

"Hey Mom," AJ said, leaning over to kiss Marissa. He removed his shoes and walked into the house to greet his siblings. Marissa noticed how engrossed Bianca was in the house and addressed Kendall.

"Kendall, you gonna stay?" Marissa asked.

"Oh no. Binx and I talked about it. She said she'll be okay and _if_ she feels uncomfortable she can call me right away, but," Kendall paused looking at her sister who smiled, "I have a feeling that that won't be a problem."

"Oh, okay." Marissa smiled fully.

"So, I'm gonna go _but not_ before I get hugs from those four over there," Kendall stated. Nathan ran to her as she knelt down, accepting his hug. Gabby put Sofia down and she followed suit. Miranda looked at Gabby, who she could tell was nervous, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before motioning with her head towards the entrance. Each of them gave Kendall a hug and Bianca simply watched them with her. There seemed to be a bond there and Bianca wondered why.

"Okay, I'm off. Binx, you have fun and get back to your life. You know where to find me if you need me."

"Of course," Bianca said. She moved forwards and hugged Kendall, thanking her. After stepping back outside, Marissa closed the door. Bianca took her shoes off and looked around once again.

"Wow," she said before hearing the giggles of a little girl. She looked at the tiny female with copper locks and big, dark brown eyes who was hiding behind Gabby's leg. Kneeling down Bianca tilted her head to get a better look at the four-year-old. "You must be Sofia," she said.

Sofia moved slightly to peek at Bianca and gave her a small smile. She nodded.

"You know," Bianca continued, "you look exactly like your mommy."

"Yup." Sofia replied.

"Except your eyes. Where did you get those?" She asked.

Sofia shrugged and, after a few seconds, she began to tug on Gabby's shirt, forcing her to be eyes level with her sister and her mother. Leaning in, Sofia whispered a question into Gabrielle's ear, whose only reply was a wide smile and chuckle before she said, "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Moving from the safety of Gabby's leg, Sofia moved forward and stood completely face-to-face with Bianca.

"Is it okay if I gave you a kiss on your cheek?" she asked with a sweet voice. Bianca could feel her heart melt and an instant look of fondness dawned on her face. She nodded and waited as the little girl moved forward and pecked her cheek. "Wewlcome home Binx."

"Thank you," Bianca said, feeling a lot of her anxiety begin to shed. She stood up and looked at Gabby, who was giving her a look that she couldn't comprehend; affection; confusion; warmth; uncertainty? Marissa broke her analysis.

"This is Gabby," she said.

"Hi Gabby," Bianca said. Then, she noticed a small tear develop in her eye, which she quickly blinked away and replaced with a shy smile. She lifted her hand and waved lightly. Marissa scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, giving Gabby a "what gives?" look.

"Uh…you know AJ and Miranda," Marissa continued.

"Of course." Bianca said. "AJ said hi to me outside. Hello Miranda,"

"Hi Bianca," Miranda said and gave her a slight hug.

"And last, but not least, is Nathan."

Bianca looked at the little boy, immediately captivated by his gleaming, hazel eyes and chocolate brown waves.

"Hi!" He said, excitement behind his voice and walked right up to Bianca. He looked up and sent her a smile, which she reciprocated. She kneeled before him and he threw his arms around her neck. She held his small form and soon, he pulled away.

"Can I ask you somefthing?" He asked.

Bianca laughed and nodded. "Sure."

"Mommy said that there are some things you can't remember. But can you remember your fav-erite food?"

"Try me," Bianca said.

"What's your fav-erite pizza?"

Bianca brought a playful finger to her lips, pretending to ponder Nathan's question. "Hmm…" she said. "Well, without a doubt, it'd have to be…"

"Yeah," Nathan said keenly.

"Pepperoni!"

Nathan looked at Miranda who smiled down at him.

"She's good." Nathan said.

The 5 kids moved to the kitchen, leaving Marissa and Bianca in the hallway. Marissa held her hands out.

"May I take your coat?"

"Oh. Yeah." Bianca said. She smiled and unbuttoned her jacket and shook it off. She handed it to Marissa who walked off to the right, opening a door to the closet.

"C'mon in," Marissa said as she hung Bianca's coat. "Well, if you need to, the bathroom is over here," she said as she pointed to the door beside the closet. "And the laundry room is through there and here's the family room."

Bianca's eyes followed Marissa's hands everywhere they pointed, collecting all of the information she could about the vast household. Bianca caught a glimpse of the family room from her spot in the hallway. Two three-seater LaZboy recliners sat against separate walls while a single one sat between them. All three faced the 70-inch television. The hallways were endowed with a few artistic pieces and a small frame captured her attention. A black-and-white photo of the five children, all smiling wildly and acting silly, simply kids being kids, hung on the wall. They were in their element and it had Bianca becoming very contemplative.

"Are you okay?" Marissa asked, breaking Bianca from her gaze.

"Yeah." She said and pointed to the photo. "They're beautiful."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

The conversation at dinner had been light-hearted and had Bianca laughing hysterically at times as the teenagers recounted numerous funny moments that had occurred over the past three years. And it only increased when Sofia and Nathan had engaged in a heated debate about which video games were more entertaining: Rock Band vs Wii Sports. She noticed that Marissa had remained silent throughout the entire discussion, letting her children ramble about their likes and dislikes. She learned that AJ was attending Pine Valley University and that he was in a bad as the pianist/keyboardist. As well, he would usually be spending his Saturday evenings at the local coffee house singing acoustic sets. Miranda was running the Miranda Centre with her mother, which she would be asking either one of them about later on. She had a love of music and Miranda had even aided Spike with a few photography jobs – as an assistant and hiring him for different jobs for the Miranda Centre.

"What about you, Gabby?" Bianca asked, taking a sip from her water.

"What about me?" She asked.

"Anything – school? Hobbies? Goals?"

"Uhh…I go to school a couple of towns away."

"Boarding school?"

"Yeah…it was my choice. I practically had to beg her to let me go." Gabby said.

"Any reason why?" Bianca asked.

"It was a personal thing… But I'm getting better."

"What do you wanna do when you get older?"

"Well…I really don't know, maybe Criminal Law. I wanna be able to help the women that Miranda helps. Justice wise, y'know?"

"That's very admirable," Bianca sad, smiling.

"Thank you."

"What else do you like to do?"

"I uh…I like to draw…and swim."

"Mommy, I'm finished." Nathan voiced.

"Me too!" Fia followed.

"Can me and Fia go play now?"

Marissa chuckled. "Of course, but you know what do first, you two."

"Yes Mommy," they said. The pair of them took their respective dishes from the table to the sink and placed them there. They ran off to the family room and began to watch a movie. Soon enough, everyone else had finished and Miranda and Marissa began to clean up. Gabby excused herself and went to stay with Sofia and Nathan. AJ made his way out of the kitchen, leaving Bianca at the table. Miranda started washing the dishes and Marissa moved towards Bianca. She sat in her spot beside Bianca and smiled at her.

"You enjoy dinner?"

"It was delicious," Bianca said. "Thank you."

"No problem," Marissa said. She noticed Bianca's delicate hands folded on the table. She could feel the itch rise in her to grab them and hold onto them. She wanted to feel the way they would perfectly intertwine with hers and know that by simply the way she would clutch her hands, it would let Bianca know that she wasn't going anywhere.

Marissa closed her eyes and sighed by the sudden and overwhelming feeling to tell Bianca everything, wanting to hold her wife and never let her go.

"Are you okay?" Bianca asked.

Marissa shook herself from her thoughts and smiled.

"Yeah… Uh, why don't you go take a look around? Familiarize yourself with the place?"

"I can't leave you to clean up everything. I can help out."

"Absolutely not. Miranda and I have this. Go on. I know you want to," Marissa said. She winked at her then sent her a dazzling and flirtatious smile.

"Okay," Bianca said, returning a smile that was equally exuberant and she could feel herself blush slightly as Marissa winked at her. She moved from the table and thanked Miranda and Marissa as she exited the kitchen. She entered the hall and looked to the family room. Nathan, Sofia, and Gabby were thoroughly enthralled in a cartoon film that she couldn't recognize. Then she heard a soft tune coming from a piano and walked further into the hallway, getting closer to the music and looked into the living room. There, AJ sat at the piano, moving his fingers softly over the ivory and charcoal keys. When he looked up and saw Bianca standing there, admiring his performance.

"That's beautiful. You write that?" She asked.

He chuckled lightly.

"Nope. I wish. Nah, that was written and performed by a man named Ron Pope; this singer that Miranda corrupted me with. His stuff is acoustic…well, the majority of it is."

Bianca moved further into the room and sat beside AJ on the bench.

"What's it called?" She asked.

"Umm…it's called _Wherever You Go._ Even though my mother is partial to the brilliance that is Adele, she likes this one."

"Who's Adele?"

"Ahh," AJ smiled. "Right. I guess you wouldn't know her. Well, she's this female soul artist that my mom likes."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Powerful voice." AJ smiled. "Do you play?" He asked.

"Uh. No."

"Wanna try it?" He asked. Bianca nodded.

"Okay," he said and grabbed her hand, placing them on the keys. "Okay, now when I point to you, gimme a steady rhythm and then after I flick my wrist shift to here," and he grabbed her wrist again and positioned it accordingly. "Ready?" He asked.

Bianca nodded.

AJ began to play an intricate, acoustic piece and soon he began to sing with soft, shiver-inducing voice.

"I had a nightmare, woke to the sound of your voice but you don't sleep here, I lay awake in the dark and I've been screaming but you don't hear me at all," And he pointed as he said he would, cuing Bianca to begin. Then flicked his wrist, which caused her to change her hand's position. The smile that graced her delicate features didn't go unnoticed by AJ and his voice became powerful because of it. "So here I go-"

"Hey you two," Marissa said interrupting them, watching from the entrance. They stopped playing and looked at Marissa who was smiling. "Dessert's ready."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Okay you two. Bed time!"

Nathan had already moved out of the family room and up the stairs at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Aww, c'mon Mommy. It's Saturday!" Sofia argued.

"I know, but your regular time is 9:00 and it's 10:00, which means you had a whole hour extra to stay awake."

"Okay…"

"Go get ready, I'll be up to tuck you in." Marissa said as she passed by her moving out of the room.

"Can Bianca come tuck us in too?" She asked hopeful.

Marissa looked at Bianca who had decided to spend some time with them, playing Rock Band.

"I sure will Sofia." She said from her spot on the couch. "I'll come up with your mommy."

Smiling, the little girl ran through the hall and up the stairs.

"Well, I'm gonna take off. I have to be at the Pub by the school by 10:30." AJ said, moving off his spot on one of the recliners. He moved to the door, gathered his coat and put on his shoes. He said a heartfelt goodbye to Marissa and then, he turned to Bianca. AJ gave her a tight hug.

"It was fun playing with you. Maybe chocolate cake won't get in the way next time," he said, grinning and shooting a look to his mother.

"Right back atcha," Bianca said.

AJ left the house and Marissa closed the door behind him.

"Ready for the young ones?" Marissa asked Bianca with a grin.

"Of course."

Marissa motioned towards the stairs and Bianca followed. They made their way up to the kids' bedroom in silence and heard two different giggles coming from the illuminated room.

"Hey! You two ready?" Marissa said loudly. When she and Bianca arrived at the room, both children were in their respective beds, massive smiles gracing both of their faces. They looked at each other as if they were sharing a secret and it didn't go unnoticed by Marissa. "Okay, you two… What are you up to?"

They only continued to chortle.

"Oh, you've got a case of the giggles huh? I'll give you two something to giggle about!"

Marissa ran into the bedroom, straight to Sofia and began to tickle her. Soon enough, Marissa jumped from Sofia's bed and went to Nathan's and tickled him as well. The innocent sound of the children's laughter had Bianca laughing as well as she watched the scene before her from the doorframe. She watched as Marissa continued to play with her kids and the familiar rise of emotions began to rise within her; the feelings she had been trying very hard to suppress when Marissa was near her. She had been struggling with her repression ever since she noticed the rings that Marissa wore on her left hand.

_She's married,_ Bianca reminded herself.

"Binx! C'mere. Me and Nafan have a present for you." Sofia said, inviting Bianca into the room. Marissa was sitting on Nathan's bed when her daughter spoke and rose to stand in the middle of the room. Nathan moved from his bed and went to sit beside Sofia, who had her hand under the covers.

"A present?" Bianca asked. She walked into the room and sat beside Sofia. She released her hands from their hiding spot and revealed a small photo album. She placed it in Bianca's hands. "It's pittures from before," she said.

"And some from when you weren't here," Nate interrupted.

"Thank you." Bianca said, tearing up a bit. She then had the extreme impulse to kiss each child and followed through on it. Marissa smiled at the exchange, falling even more in love with Bianca than she already knew she was. To Bianca, these kids weren't even hers like she would have known before, and yet, Marissa could see that she already loved them and not just because they were her kids.

"Okay you two, time to sleep."

Nathan bounced off of Sofia's bed and into his own. Marissa left Bianca to say good night to Sofia and went to Nathan. Pulling the comforter to cover his body, Marissa leaned down and kissed his head.

"You were very brave and a very good boy tonight Nate," she said. "Good night. I love you."

"I lub you too, Mommy."

"Thanks for the gift Sofia. I love it."

"Do you really?" She asked.

"I really do. And I love you too."

"I love you too Bianca. G'night."

Marissa and Bianca crossed paths to say good night to the other child and smiled at each other as they passed.

"Good night baby girl," Marissa said. "You did a great job today."

"Thanks Mommy. She said she loves me," Sofia said. Her grin grew twice its regular size.

"And why wouldn't she?" Marissa asked. "I love you."

"Lub you too Mommy," she said sleepily.

Bianca ran a hand through Nathan's hair, thanking him too for the photo album.

"It's for before you go to sleep Binx," he said.

"And I'm gonna do that. I promise."

"G'night Bianca," he said. She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"Love you, little guy."

"Lub you too."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"You know, you've been acting really weird. Especially for you, tonight." Miranda stated as she and Gabby filled a bowl of cereal each. Gabby pried open the refrigerator door and removed the milk from it.

"Yeah, I know." Gabby said. She poured the milk on her Lucky Charms before handing it over to Miranda.

"What's up?" She asked.

"I just…I dunno how to act around her Mimo." Gabby confessed.

"Just act like you normally do…crazy and intelligent. She'll love you."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

Bianca walked into the kitchen, completely unaware that anyone was in there. She jumped a little at the sight of Miranda and Gabby sitting on the sink opposite each other.

"Oh! I'm so sorry."

"No worries," Miranda said. "Come on in."

"I was umm, a bit hungry and just thought I'd-" Bianca stopped midsentence as she noticed the full bowls of cereal in front of both girls. "Don't tell me that you two get the late night cereal cravings."

"Well, Mimo here does more than I do." Gabby said, munching on the marshmallows. "It only happens for me when I'm home."

"Something I taught you two, I'm guessing?"

The two sisters looked at each other and smirked before they nodded.

"Oh you poor girls."

"It's okay," Gabby said. "We don't mind."

"Well, umm I know this is probably gonna sound a bit…childish, but you wouldn't happen to have-" Bianca noticed the cereal in both girls' bowls. "Lucky Charms."

Miranda laughed as she swallowed her last spoonful of sugary goodness and took the box that was beside her and handed it to Bianca.

"Well," Miranda said. "I'm beat. I'm gonna call it a night." She hopped off the counter and placed her dirty bowl in the sink. She waited as Bianca finished pouring her milk and then hugged her. "It's great to have you back." She said. It was then that Miranda felt Bianca's grip tighten around her body.

"Thank you…for everything," she replied and pulled away. Miranda winked at Gabby then exited the kitchen. Bianca dove her spoon into the Lucky Charms and began to satisfy her craving. She noticed Gabby and soon enough the room filled with an awkward tension.

"Uh…may I ask you something?" Bianca said.

"Shoot."

"Well it's not so much a question. More of an observation, but I get the feeling that you don't like me very much."

Gabrielle raised her eyebrows in shock. "Seriously?" She asked and Bianca nodded. "No. No, I don't umm…" Then it hit Gabby like a lightening bolt. The night began to replay in her mind; the disheartening greeting, her lack of attention to the dinner conversation, how she immediately left the table to be with Sofia and Nathan. Gabby realized that she hadn't been very warm to her mother and it made her somewhat sick. "I'm _really_ sorry about that. I swear, it's not that at all. I just…I don't know how to be around you. I mean…before all of this…I came to you for pretty much everything. I mean you and Marissa, that is and I just… I miss that."

Bianca forgot about her cereal and moved to Gabby. She forced the young teenager to look at her. "You can _always_ come to me. I may not remember who you are to me or who I am to you, but I do feel this…thing for all of you. It's like I know you, but I don't. I can't remember, but that shouldn't change anything. I want you to be able to come to me, okay?"

Gabby smiled, her eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall. She managed to keep them in check, but it didn't stop her from pulling Bianca towards her and hugging her tightly. Surprised, Bianca didn't know what to do at first. But the moment she felt Gabby bury her head into her shoulder, she wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her just as tightly. When Gabby pulled away, she had a reminiscent look on her face, which Bianca noticed.

"What?" She asked.

"Sorry, I just…I keep seeing this memory of you, me, Miranda and AJ at this resort when I was three. The uh…resort on-"

"The lake…"

Gabby widened her eyes. "Yeah…" she breathed out. "Umm we asked you to come in the pool with us and-"

"I said I'd only jump in with my special way…"

"Yeah. Oh my God, yeah!"

"And the four of us held hands and jumped in."

"Are you…are you remembering this?"

Bianca's eyes grew and she smiled. Gabby smiled back before pouncing on her mother and hugging her tightly in celebration.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa led Bianca down the steps into the basement. When they got down there, Bianca noticed that the basement was fully furbished. It was a wide-open space with a kitchen and bar. There was a family area, complete with comfortable and squishy sofas and cushions. To the right of the steps was where Marissa walked and opened a door. Bianca followed her into a bedroom. The King size bed rested against the wall to her right and the dresser stood opposite it. The warm crème coloured walls complemented the coffee coloured bedroom set and Bianca felt instantly warmed by it.

"I hope you'll be comfortable," Marissa said as she turned to face Bianca. "Is this okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's great. It's perfect." Bianca said, gently placing her hands in her jean pockets.

"_Yeah it's great. It's perfect."_ Marissa shook herself from going into another memory.

"Okay," Marissa said as she watched Bianca walk past her and went to sit on the bed. She looked to the night table and noticed two "Welcome Home" cards perched on it. She moved to grab both of them and read each of them. The wholesome words written within the crayon-endowed, homemade cards had Bianca in tears within seconds and they glistened even more as she looked at Marissa.

"Bianca?" Marissa rushed to her side and sat next to her. Bianca forced herself to look down, but Marissa's hand forced her to look up at her. She felt completely vulnerable as she cried. Marissa simply wiped the tears that had escaped and ran a path down Bianca's face. "I'm sorry if we've overwhelmed you."

Bianca shook her head. "No…I mean yes, you did, but not in the way that you think. It's just… I'll be honest. When I got here tonight, I was so terrified. I thought that, maybe, I'd get here and all of you would expect me to be someone else. I expected that anytime I'd move to say something, you would get upset or frustrated if it wasn't something that the old me would say, you know? But that didn't happen. You guys treated me as if you were completely comfortable and you were all so kind and caring. I could just be…me."

Marissa took a hold of Bianca's hand and looked at her. She took a deep breath.

"There's no 'old you' okay? There's just you. And the six of us, we love you for who you are. That hasn't changed. You're still the charismatic, compassionate, loving, caring, passionate, _strong_ woman that we know and love. You're our rock…"

"Ha. I don't feel so strong when I sleep."

"Well, that's what you got me for," Marissa said. "I told you that yesterday, remember?"

"Right," Bianca said.

"And if you're scared that the nightmares will keep coming, you don't have to sleep down here. AJ's room isn't being used. You'll be closer to Miranda and me, if you prefer."

"No, no. It's okay. I'm fine down here."

"Okay…" Marissa said. Her eyes never left Bianca, who was now looking at a spot on the floor. She could feel Marissa's gaze burning into her and she feared to look up. Her body did strange things when she thought about Marissa and even more so when the redhead was actually present in the same room. However, she didn't want Marissa to panic and so, she willed herself to look at Marissa. Lifting her head, Bianca did just that and noticed the caring and loving look behind Marissa's hazel eyes.

_Hazel eyes? I…I know those eyes! Red hair. Hazel eyes. _

A realization had come over Bianca.

_Oh my God. Marissa's the woman I dreamt about these last three years? She's the one who got me through those endless nights of pain. But she's married… No, don't tell me that I have feeling for a married woman. That's not right. And she's my best friend too? But those eyes…those intoxicating…dark…beautiful… Why am I leaning forward?_

Marissa could see the confusion behind Bianca's chestnut eyes and watched as that confusion turned to comprehension. Their hands were still intertwined and Marissa watched Bianca's body as it shuffled closer toward her. She could her vision fogging, completely eclipsing her sense to reason. And, soon enough, Marissa felt a stirring within her; an intense longing for the one who sat beside her, a yearning for the familiarity of Bianca's lips to connect with hers.

A deep, sudden breath from Bianca had her yanking herself in the opposite direction of a force that she couldn't comprehend. One stronger than gravity had her drifting toward Bianca and she had to break that pull. It nearly killed her to do so, but she knew it couldn't happen. Not yet. Not like this, when Bianca was in her most vulnerable state. It wouldn't be fair.

"I'm sorry. You're probably exhausted," Marissa said. "I'll leave so you can get some sleep." Marissa began to stand, but Bianca still had a hold of her hand and tugged her back down.

"No! …I mean, it's okay. I'm not gonna go to sleep right away anyways. I don't mind the company… That is, unless, you're tired and wanna go to sleep."

"No! …Sorry, it's… I'd rather stay here."

"Okay," Bianca smiled and Marissa beamed from ear to ear in return. She watched as Bianca let go of her hand and moved backwards on the bed to lean against the headboard. Marissa smirked as Bianca patted the spot beside her. Marissa obliged and the two began to become mesmerized by the other as they began their conversation.

Bianca had all kinds of questions for Marissa about the two of them and how their friendship began. Marissa recounted the first time they met and all that they had done for the other. Marissa told Bianca about how her biological parents were David and Krystal and that she was Babe's twin, who Bianca had remembered. She also described the experience of destroying a hotel room to deal with her frustrations and emotions of the thought of David being dead. Bianca recognized how thorough Marissa was in her accounts, not missing a detail. Her narrations were full of life and it made her feel like she was actually reliving the memories, even though she had no recollection of any of it occurring. Marissa told Bianca about the foundation of their friendship – when it truly began to flourish. Bianca had come to Marissa for legal advice and asked for her help with a case that ultimately led to a victory for the both of them. Throughout their time together on that inquiry, they exchanged personal stories that led to an impromptu bond. It had become so tightly bound that neither could ever fathom it not existing.

"What about your husband…or wife?"

Marissa's eyes broadened.

"Uh, my what?"

Bianca took Marissa's left hand and brought it up to her face. "You're married, right?"

Marissa smiled at the diamond and white gold band that rested on her finger and smiled.

"Oh… Yeah. Yes, I am."

"Tell me about him or her."

Marissa chuckled.

"Well…_she_ is the most amazing person I've ever met. I don't think that I could _ever_ live up to who she is and all that she's done for me. She's my rock. She fills my life with so much joy and happiness and love with a simple smile. The sound of her laugh is infectious…she sounds like a four year old when she laughs," Marissa stated, which caused Bianca to giggle. "She puts me and our kids before herself or anyone else. She stands in front of me when I'm in trouble. She protects me and brightens my day, even when I'm having the worst day. I love her _so_ much more than my own life – beyond the amount that anyone could love a person. Never in a million years did I think that she would happen to me. She keeps me going, and without her…I'd be hopeless. She listens to me…knows what I want. Before she even told me how she felt, we were stuck in a _really_ bad situation and I told her about my father and how he used to sing me this song called _Forever More_. She went out and found a music box with that song in it, so I could take it and listen to it when I was scared. But she didn't give it to me directly. She gave it to the man that she thought I was in love with at the time to give to me from him because she thought it would make me happy and be better coming from him…even though she was in love with me at the time…"

Bianca listened as Marissa went on and on about the woman she loved. As Marissa conveyed the story of the music box, Bianca felt sick and guilty for how she felt about this woman; her best friend. How could she have these feelings for her when she spoke about her wife this way? Clearly, how Marissa felt about her was entirely platonic.

"…And then, one day, she was gone." Marissa finished.

"What happened?" Bianca asked.

"It's complicated…"

"Oh. I'm sorry, it's gotta be personal. I didn't mean to pry-"

"You didn't…maybe, someday, you'll know."

Bianca nodded and decided to change the subject.

"Oh! I remembered something tonight…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.-

It was 3:00 in the morning by the time Marissa and Bianca had fallen asleep and neither had realized that they had dozed off. Marissa had fallen asleep on Bianca's shoulder, talking about how she adopted AJ, but soon fatigue had consumed the both of them.

_Just relax…just relax, give yourself over to the moment._

_Stupid, self-righteous bitch!_

_You're not going anywhere._

_Shut up!_

Bianca woke up in a cold sweat and laboured breathing. She blinked, trying to adjust herself to the light that still irradiated the bedroom. Taking deep breaths, she managed to control her breathing and get it back down to its regular rate. It was simple to do once she realized where she was. The light was very bright and her eyes were still sensitive to it, so she moved to switch it off, but something stopped her. She noticed the red hair fanned across the pillow beside her. Marissa had fallen asleep here. Bianca's eyes travelled from the copper mane to her face. Marissa's nose was buried deep into Bianca's neck and the hot breath that escaped it had Bianca tingling all over. Her mouth went dry and she tried to swallow any moisture in her mouth to regain some sense of homeostasis. Bianca noticed that her arm covered Marissa's, which was draped over her torso. Marissa's hand clutched the exposed skin of Bianca's side and she tried, desperately, to calm the rapid heart rate that she had _just_ managed to control. It was no use. No matter how hard Bianca tried, there was no way she could grapple with how she felt.

"M-Marissa," she whispered as she shook the red head's arm. "Marissa," she tried again.

Nothing.

"Marissa!"

"Hmmm…" Bianca looked at her friend, who began to stir.

"I gotta close the lights…" Bianca moved, but Marissa only held on tighter.

"N-no." She said. "Bbe, I jst gt y'back," Marissa murmured and Bianca froze at what she heard escape her mouth. She looked down at her and saw that her eyes were closed and that her breathing remained rhythmic.

Marissa was still asleep.

…_She thinks I'm her wife…_

o.o.O.O.o.o

Oh! A cliffhanger. I'm terrible! Hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review.

PS – the song AJ sings, which is used in the POV is called "Wherever You Go" by Ron Pope. I don't own it or the rights to it, merely using it for creative and entertaining purposes.


	10. One

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Bianca's POV**

One…the loneliest number…is it?

One heart.

One first.

One soul.

One moment.

One chance to show the world who you are.

One life that we're certain of.

One step closer.

One you.

One love?

…Lonely…solitary. No, that's not me. One doesn't have to be a lonely number. One can be hopeful…yes, hopeful. When you're unsure of something, scared, sad all it takes is one person to pull you through everything. One person to be positive, pure, present a new view on things, a new opportunity to be something amazing, to be the person you want to be. All it takes is one person to show that they'd stare down the barrel of a gun to prove to you that they believe that your life is worth living. All you need is one person to reignite the fire that you thought all of the trauma and emotional and mental battles had burned out in you; one person to stand by you through everything. One. That's all it takes.

Suddenly…one doesn't seem like such a lonely number.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

She sighed in content, feeling completely well rested, more so than she has felt in the last three years. She felt warm and comfortable. Her sense began to come to her. She could smell a very compelling scent of lavender that gave rise to an intense knot in her stomach as the sweet fragrance infiltrated her nose. She could hear the steady rate of a beating heart, which coincided with the regular puff of air that she could feel heating the top of her head. She moved her hand and felt the cool, goosepimply skin beneath her palm. At the small bit of pressure she exerted on skin beneath her fingertips, she shot her eyes open. Her face was buried in the creamy, smooth skin of a brunette's neck. Marissa widened her eyes and, gently, lifted her head. She steadied herself on her right hand as she peeked over Bianca's sleeping form to gaze at the digital clock on the nightstand on the other side of the bed. It was 9:15. Marissa had only gotten six hours of sleep, but she felt refreshed. Moving her gaze from the clock, Marissa returned her focus on her wife. _Best friend…_she thought. _No, she's my wife. And she looks even more beautiful asleep than I remember._ Bianca's hair had fallen over her eyes, which made a smile grace Marissa's face. It made her laugh lightly. Carefully, she raised her left hand and moved the hair away from Bianca's face. She knew she shouldn't, at the risk of waking Bianca up and having to explain why she was so close to her face, but Marissa had the irresistible urge to kiss Bianca's face…anywhere. The need to be close…er to her was compelling.

Marissa smiled. _So beautiful…_

"The hell with it," she whispered to herself as she leaned down and kissed her wife's temple.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"You ready to go back?" Miranda asked as Gabby plopped into a chair, seating herself by the counter.

"Not really. I just wanna stay here," Gabby admitted as Miranda handed her a cup of coffee.

"Boarding school ain't looking so good now, is it?" Miranda teased.

"Shut up… Hey…did Mom go to bed last night? I didn't hear her come up."

Miranda was about to respond when she and Gabby heard the sound of a door softly shutting coming from the lower level. The pair of them looked at each other and immediately stood and ran to the edge of the kitchen. Gabby, closer to the stairwell, peered her head through the entrance to the hallway, sneaking a peek at the stairs leading to the basement.

"It's Mom." She whispered.

"Yeah, cuz _that_ narrows it down," Miranda quirked. "Is it number 1 or number 2?"

"What would constitute that designation?"

"Biology versus adoption." Miranda said.

"Number 2! Quick, look busy!"

The two of them scampered to move further into the kitchen. Gabby returned to her seat and Miranda leaned against the counter, pretending to talk to her sister.

"_Please_ tell me we can have fun with this," Gabby whispered to Miranda as Marissa walked into the kitchen.

"Have fun with what?" Marissa asked. Gabby raised her eyebrows and looked to Miranda to help her out.

"Uh…fun on the uh ride to the station in about an hour. Baby sister's gotta get back to school."

Marissa's face fell. "So soon?"

"Yeah," Gabby said. "I'm gonna have so much work to catch up on."

"Good news is," Miranda said, "that my baby sister is _hating_ her school right about now and I'm _positive_ that she will be staying in Pine Valley next semester."

"Is that so?" Marissa said with a smile. Gabby nodded.

"Yup." She said.

"And _speaking_ of news," Miranda said as she leaned onto counter, flashing an impish grin to Marissa and perching her chin in the palm of her hand. "Where did _you_ sleep last night?"

Marissa grinned bashfully, a full-fledged blush shading her flesh.

"Good morning." A voice rang throughout the kitchen. The three women turned to see Bianca behind Marissa.

"Hey," Marissa said softly.

"Good morning!" Gabby exclaimed.

"Ya hungry?" Miranda asked. "I was gonna some make French toast."

"You were?" Gabby asked. Miranda shot Gabby a look to hush her up.

"That sounds amazing," Bianca said. "Thank you."

Miranda made her way to the refrigerator to remove the items she'd need for her breakfast creation. Getting out of her seat, Gabby offered both of her mothers some coffee, which they both, gratefully, accepted.

"So," Gabby said to Bianca, "Did you sleep well?"

She eyed Marissa with a knowing gleam in her eyes and a playful smirk on her lips. Marissa shook her head in disbelief. Noticing, Miranda had to suppress a chuckle as she shook some cinnamon in the batter.

"Yes, I did," Bianca replied. There was an anxious spirit evident in her voice as she recalled what Marissa had mumbled in her sleep when she woke up from her nightmare.

"Good. I'm glad," Gabby said. Trying not to show the obvious rascal-like smile that was coming to her face, she turned her back and decided to help her sister out with making breakfast.

Bianca turned to Marissa and smiled at her.

"How 'bout you? You sleep well?" Bianca asked.

Marissa nodded. "Yup. The best sleep I've had in a while, actually."

Gabby and Miranda looked at each other with light-hearted grins, enjoying the shy, yet good-natured exchange between Bianca and Marissa.

"So," Gabby said as she turned her head. "Are you gonna go to the Gala on Saturday?" She asked Bianca.

"Gala?" She questioned before it dawned on her that Gabby was speaking of the Miranda Centre. "Oh! Uh…I dunno. I haven't thought about it."

Marissa placed a kind hand in Bianca's lap. She was about to respond when the back door opened and Tammy walked in greeting everyone with a 'Good Morning.' Tammy had noticed Bianca and how Marissa's hand sat comfortably in her lap.

Looking at each other, Gabby and Miranda, subtly, rolled their eyes. Miranda had always believed that she had perfect timing and it was moments like these when she found herself to be correct. Looking from the pan where the French toast was cooking, Miranda noticed the scene unfold before her. She recognized the melancholy look that Tammy had changed into the moment her eyes had fallen on her mother's lap. Her face was wrought with an emotion more powerful than love: jealousy. Even though it wasn't clear-cut to Marissa who hadn't even spent two seconds greeting Tammy, Miranda knew very well what pursed lips on the blonde's face meant.

"You must be Bianca! It's _so_ nice to _finally_ meet you," Tammy said in a sweet voice that had evoked a series of hand gestures between the two sisters by the stove – pointing to their molars to signify a toothache, sticking their fingers in their mouths in a vomiting act, and a hand gesture that Miranda had engaged in to signify Tammy's fake words. The blonde woman extended her hand.

"Yeah," Bianca said, taking Tammy's hand and shaking it. "You are?"

"Oh! I'm Tammy."

"She's a friend of mine. She's staying in the pool house for a bit." Marissa explained.

"A bit?" Miranda mouthed to Gabby, who rolled her eyes again.

"Oh, well, nice to meet you Tammy." Bianca said sincerely.

"Good morning you two," Tammy addressed Miranda and Gabby.

"Hiii," the pair of them dragged.

"What are you ladies talking about?" Tammy inquired.

"Bianca coming to the Gala on Saturday," Marissa expressed. "And I was gonna say, don't worry. You don't _have_ to come, but you're invited."

"Yeah," Miranda said as she placed a plate of French toast and fruit in front of Bianca. "I'll put a place for you at my table and if you decide to come, you'll have somewhere to sit and eat and enjoy yourself."

Bianca smiled at Miranda and then her face fell into a contemplative state. She looked to her lap where she noticed that Marissa's hand was still there. _Don't focus on it_ she berated herself. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at Miranda.

"I'll think about it."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Anger, frustration, rage...all-consuming rage was what they felt. The blood within their veins pumped quickly, their breaths became ragged and the knuckles on their hands turned white with the fury that burned within them. Looking around the now empty house, their blue eyes wandered over to a man named Dustin. His bruised face complemented the long laceration that started at his forehead and ran down his left side, ending at a place they didn't know because it disappeared into his black t-shirt. As he sat in a lonely chair in the middle of the basement, his boss circled his form. There was a look of fear in his eye as he stared at someone he didn't know. Whoever they were, they were shorter than he was and when they spoke, he couldn't comprehend whom he spoke to. A voice alter was being used and knowing that he failed scared him more than anything.

"Can you tell me...HOW IS IT...that a team of OVER 10 STRONG, POWERFUL, FEARFUL MEN could NOT MANAGE TO KEEP A SINGLE, SCRAWNY, WOMAN CAPTIVE?"

"It-it-it w-wasn't our fault...they came in undetected, guns b-blazing..."

"So..." Their voice had calmed significantly. "...What you're telling me is that you morons didn't have enough firearms? WHAT THE HELL AM I PAYING YOU FOR?"

"We-"

"NO! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU IDIOTIC PIECE OF SHIT! ...I did NOT plan EVERYTHING out to the last insignificant DETAIL for you to screw it all up now! YOU will get her back here and we will PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF!"

With all the strength they could muster, the masked figure kicked Dustin's chair sending him backwards. When his head hit the ground, he saw a distinct shadow walk over his frame and leaned over him as they pressed the bottom of their footwear to his trachea, cutting off his air supply.

"Now, listen to me Mr. Dustin, you do what I say and I pay you. That's our deal. You fail, I kill you; it's as simple as that. Miss Montgomery is expected to show her pretty little face at a Banquet set up for the Miranda Centre this coming Saturday my sources tell me. You make the pick-up there, understood? DO NOT mess this up AGAIN... You're puny little life depends on it."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Saturday had come faster than Marissa had expected. Given the fact that it was Bianca's first week back at the strange house, Marissa felt that things would feel protracted. She thought things would be extremely difficult not only for Bianca, but for herself as well. But things had gone incredibly smooth. That's not to say, however, that the week didn't have its difficulties. Marissa had to keep dealing with the fact that Bianca couldn't remember who she truly was and it was eating away at her from the inside out. Every time Bianca smiled at her or spoke to her, even about the simplest things, Marissa found herself trying to keep her distance in a way that wasn't rude, but couldn't be misconstrued in a manner that would make Bianca feel uncomfortable. She had developed these little ticks, such as scratching her forehead, cracking her knuckles, or rubbing her hands together in a nervous fashion, all so she could keep her hands occupied – to keep her from blurting out everything.

Taking a deep breath, Marissa checked over her hair and make-up as she zipped up the zipper that clasped on the side of her red evening gown. Grabbing her purse off of her bed, she opened her door and headed down the stairs. She walked through the halls and into the kitchen where Tammy was just walking in.

"You look great," Tammy said with wonderment evident in her voice.

"Thank you," Marissa said with a smile. "You got plans tonight?"

"Just gonna do some work in the pool house."

"That's good," Marissa said.

Tammy looked at Marissa carefully. She admired the way Marissa's red dress enhanced her copper hair and made her eyes seem greener in the light. She commended the way the gown clung to every curve of Marissa's body. From head to toe, Marissa looked fantastic and the outfit was complete with the white and toothy smile that Marissa flashed. However, Tammy could not deny or simply overlook the strain behind Marissa's hazel eyes.

"You look happier," Tammy stated.

"I am."

"Yeah…but happier doesn't mean completely happy. What's wrong? …This about what you told me what Dr. Castillo said about Bianca's ex? Oh, what's her name? Maggie?"

Marissa nodded.

"I thought that if she were here, surrounded by us, all the love we have to offer her, she'd be happy and comfortable. But, even though she's smiling and laughing and _so_ amazing with our kids, I can sense this emptiness in her. Like, she feels she's missing something. Y'know?"

"So, you're considering the doctor's suggestion?"

"I dunno…"

"Well, it's only been a week… Maybe you ought to wait a month or so. See if she regains anymore of her memory. I mean, she's remembered a few things this week, right?"

Marissa smiled and nodded. They weren't extravagant memories, but they did fill in a few blanks for Bianca. After remembering her time she spent with the kids at the resort by the lake, Bianca had also remembered finding out that Kendall was pregnant with Ian.

"Yeah…yeah, I'll wait and see how she is. It's still early." Marissa smiled and pulled Tammy in for a hug. "Thank you."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

The lights were dim and people were piling into the banquet hall of the Yacht Club to support the opening of the Miranda Centre Safe House. Security was tight, as it was an invitation only event. Erica and Miranda had sent them out months in advance to their donors and a few clients who had really benefitted from the centre. As well, there were some prospective donors who would need some convincing as to why this Safe House was a worthy investment.

Miranda and Erica stood by the entrance to the hall, shaking hands and greeting their guests. AJ was helping Zach and Ryan usher and direct people to their respective tables, which had been communicated through Kendall and Greenlee. Spike walked around with his DSLR camera, looking like quite the professional, taking snapshots for the Centre's history. As the invited arrived, each of them bombarded Miranda with questions about her mother's health. Concern with how she was adjusting to her new life was a primary interest among the donors and whether or not she would be making an appearance at the night's spectacular. Soon, Miranda and Erica had moved into the hall and began to mingle with the guests.

Not too long a while later, Miranda found herself by the bar, parched. Kendall made her way over to her niece to relieve her mind from the course it was running. Seeing the near weary look on Miranda's face had her stepping up. Before she could say a word, Miranda was, once again, being bombed with questions about Bianca.

"Miss Montgomery. This truly is a spectacle."

"Thank you," Miranda said, shaking a man's hand.

"Your mother would be so proud. Tell me, how is she dealing with her injury?"

_Injury?_ Miranda pondered.

_Just go with it Junior,_ Kendall thought.

"She's managing to cope quite splendidly," Miranda expressed. "I'm hoping tonight's festivities will not let you down Mr. Burns. Your money is being spent wisely and carefully."

"I don't doubt you, young lady. You're exactly like your mother. I do hope I get the chance to see her tonight."

"Unfortunately, she did not feel ready for something so grand. She is still recovering, after all."

Kendall did all she could to keep from laughing. However, she was very impressed with the way Miranda was dealing with this investor. The man said a few more words then excused himself, leaving Miranda and Kendall alone.

"Damn, news in Pine Valley travels fast," Miranda observed.

"Yuup and people will take it in any way they see fit… So, you nervous about your speech?" She asked.

Miranda shook her head. "Nah. I've given like a hundred of them."

"Well, here's your time to shine kiddo," Kendall said as she noticed Erica taking her place on the stage at the podium.

"Excuse me, may I have your attention?" The voices in the room dialed down so that not even a pin drop could go unheard. "Thank you. I'm Erica Kane, mother of the founder of the Miranda Centre, Bianca Montgomery. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for making the Miranda Centre a priority. Without donors like you, this would not be possible." A round of applause broke out. "Thank you. I'd now like to call another individual to speak without whom none of us would even be here tonight. She is the reason my daughter established this wonderful organization and the reason it's been kept alive for so long. I am _proud_ to be able to stand here and call her my_ granddaughter._ Ladies and gentlemen, Miranda Mona Montgomery."

More acclamations chimed and echoed throughout the hall as Miranda walked from one end of the room to the other. She made her way across the empty dance floor and could feel the gaze of the thousands of individuals who were there. Lifting her dress a bit so she wouldn't trip, Miranda walked up the steps to the podium and greeted Erica with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Erica stepped back and continued clapping with the rest of the room as the spotlight turned to Miranda.

"Thank you Ms. Kane. If I called her 'Grandma' she might scold me." Laughter could be heard throughout the room. "Like Ms. Kane stated, this great institution was discovered by a woman who, clearly, needs no introduction. A strong, intelligent and compassionate human being that make the rest of us seem like children of evil. A woman who was wronged in one of the worst possible ways and the result was me. Many tried to persuade her to get an abortion, with the fear that seeing me everyday would only serve cause as a reminder of something brutal. She refused to listen, not knowing why no one could see the love she felt for a child who did not ask to be brought into this world and who didn't have a choice, or so she believed. She chose to love me…she said she couldn't help it."

Miranda paused momentarily and her eyes caught Marissa's who had begun to tear.

"Not too long after my birth, she thought I was dead. She sought a place where she would be protected from everything – the pain, the fear, the loss. She wanted to help those like her, offer them a place where they would feel safe from the world outside, even if it was only for a moment and so began the construction of the Miranda Centre, which she named after me. For many years, victims of violence have searched for a place of refuge and safety and we have been that place. We have helped many deal with trauma and have even expanded on an international scale. But now, we are expanding even further. My mother was abducted three years ago and is now recovering. When she disappeared, I stepped up to continue her legacy. About two years ago a woman came to us in desperate need of help. She shall remain anonymous, however her story is well known among the people within the Centre. We took her in, but our mistake was treating her like every other client. Her case was different. She was stalked and her situation was the most extreme that the Miranda Centre has had to manage. Unfortunately, we were unable to help her the way we thought we could. We did not have the resources to keep her under surveillance 24/7 like she needed. As a result, she was assaulted and murdered. It was after this event that I began my own plans for growth. Ms. Kane and I began to plan the Safe House – a secluded, safe, highly secured home for cases such as the one I just described to you, with an underground bunker that serves as a medical wing and offers the support, safety and security required."

Praise from everyone vibrated off the walls, gracing Miranda's face with a giant smile.

"I thank you for your generous donations. I hope you enjoy your meal and have some fun dancing the night away. Please bid on the silent auction and thank you again. Have a pleasant evening. Thank you."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca sat on the couch in the family room as she heard the echoes of children's laughter coming from the kitchen. She held a cardstock slip in her hand – the invitation that Miranda had given her earlier that week. She fumbled it through her fingers, staring at it. She had told Miranda that she would be unable to attend and, while she saw how the young woman's face fell, Miranda said she understood and didn't want to pressure her into doing anything that she felt uncomfortable with. Now, however, it seemed like Bianca was having second thoughts.

"You okay sweetie?"

Bianca looked up at the sound of the familiar, southern voice that infiltrated her ears. Krystal was leaning against the doorframe of the family room. She had agreed to watch Sofia and Nathan for the night, in case Bianca had decided to change her mind.

"Yeah," Bianca smiled. Krystal walked into the room and sat beside her. "I just…I feel like I should be there, supporting Miranda, y'know? To hell with my comfort."

_That's a mama's instinct taking over_ Krystal thought.

"Well, it's not too late to still go. If you leave now, you can still make the main course of the five-course meal your mother was sure to have the Club be responsible for. But if you get ready, you'll get dessert and dance 'til you drop."

Bianca thought it over. Her desire was stronger than even, then it faltered.

"I don't even have anything to wear." She said sadly.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Krystal simply stated. "I'm betting that you have a number of beautiful gowns in that closet o'yours downstairs."

"Really?" Bianca asked with a hopeful smile.

"Really, really… Sofia! Nathan!"

The scampering of little feet came rushing into the room and the pure giggles of the innocent children made Bianca smile even more.

"Yeah Nana?" Nathan said.

"What do you guys think? Should Bianca over here go to the place where your mommy, AJ and Miranda are tonight?"

"YEAH!" Sofia yelled excitedly and Nathan joined in on the enthusiastic statement.

Krystal turned to look at Bianca who, she could tell, would fall prey to the suggestion of those children.

"Okay," Bianca said.

"C'mon Cinderella," Krystal uttered. "Let's get you ready for the Ball."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa and AJ were tearing up the dance floor, swaying goofily without a care in the world. Marissa found herself laughing and letting all of her stress go. AJ took a hold of his mother's hand and began to twirl her around as the beat of the music filled the room with a new flavour. Despite the fact that Marissa could feel the adrenaline pump through her veins and her endorphins kicking in, her mind couldn't help but wander over to Bianca. She thought about how she was doing with the kinds and Krystal and whether or not she was okay in the general sense. Then she, stupidly, allowed herself to flash back to the conversation she had earlier that evening with Tammy about the possibility of bringing Maggie back t Pine Valley. No matter how much she tried to deny it, Marissa felt that Bianca was struggling with something and, for the life of her she couldn't figure it out. She thought that Maggie could be it, but she was scared…terrified to contact her. What it might mean. Was it possible that Bianca would never remember her and what they had? Could she ever live, period, if she knew that Bianca would never look at her the way she used to? Was it feasible to believe that Marissa would never again know how it felt to have her wife's lips pressed ardently and achingly to her own? What if, when Bianca found out about the two of them, she wanted a divorce? Could she handle that? How did they get here?

Miranda, Kendall and Greenlee stood idly by watching them whiz all over the dance floor, just having a good time. Sipping from her champagne flute, Greenlee turned her head to the door where someone was being overwhelmed by a swarm of people. She brought it to Miranda and Kendal's attention and the three of them saw the face of one Bianca Montgomery. Miranda's jaw dropped at the gorgeous and glamourous sight of her mother and immediately and quickly, walked over to the crowd of individuals.

"Miss Montogmery, you must be _so_ proud of Miranda!" They said.

Bianca was confused and began to feel frightened. She didn't know how to overcome the situation she found herself in, but quickly calmed when she noticed Miranda trying to get through the throng surrounding her.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but Miss Montgomery cannot and will not be answering any questions at this time. She is merely here as a guest and I pray that you will allow her to enjoy herself."

It was as if Miranda's word were law. The multitude of people dissipated and soon it was only Bianca and Miranda.

"You came," she said, smiling completely.

"Yeah…I dunno why. But I had to be here…for you."

"Well, for whatever reason, I'm really glad you're here." Miranda pulled Bianca in for a warm and tight embrace and she gave her a whisper of thanks.

"Hi Bianca," Greenlee said. Bianca returned the greeting and through her arms around her cousin. Miranda looked around for Kendall and saw her by the DJ's booth as she said something into his ear. She brushed it off and returned her attention back to her mother.

From the dance floor, Marissa and AJ's eyes wandered to the area where the three women had previously stood, which now was bare. Confused, Marissa trailed her eyes across the bar right to an area by the door where she saw Miranda and Greenlee conversing with the most incredible and bewitching woman she had ever known. Like a moth to a flame, Marissa found herself leaving the safe haven of the dance floor heading towards the brunette who was adorned in a long, passion purple, mermaid style dress. Her wavy, milk chocolate waves fell to one side, tumbling over her shoulder as the smoky tone of her eye make-up made her dark eyes brighten. It took Marissa's breath away. All AJ could do was follow.

Bianca spoke to Greenlee, while Miranda listened to the two of them. Out of her periphery, Bianca noticed a flash of red blind her so it was _all_ she could see. _That's Marissa,_ she realized. Bianca hadn't seen the redhead when she left the house, for she was napping. The deep, plunging neckline of the tight, cherry coloured dress had Bianca mesmerized and speechless. Marissa's up do framed her face perfectly and Bianca couldn't help the increase in her heart rate, nor did she want to. She wanted to forget for a moment and not fight everything within her to contain her sentiments, as wrong as they were.

"Wow," Marissa said, incapable of uttering any other words.

Bianca smiled bashfully as she was unable to inhibit or hide the way she leered at Marissa.

"You look…beautiful," Bianca said, barely able to produce that last word in anything louder than an entrancing whisper.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen, we are going to slow things down."

The soft piano of a familiar tune rang out amongst the banquet hall. Miranda recognized the song immediately. And much more quickly than Miranda, Marissa recalled the song. The velvety sound of the piano soon turned to words as Marissa flashed to the past to a particularly important dance. This was their wedding song and it brought Marissa to a state of vulnerability and she was unable to do anything but listen to the words being sung by Christina Perri's unique voice.

"Uh, Bianca," AJ asked, noticing his mother's antics. "Would you like to dance?"

Bianca nodded. AJ took her by the hand and looked at Marissa with eyebrows raised as he led Bianca onto the dance floor. Once in the center, he threw her into a small twirl and took her by the waist.

"Ya know," she said with a charming grin. "You and my mom are the most beautiful women here tonight."

Bianca giggled and thanked him and she let him lead her in a circle as she listened to the words. '_But watching you stand alone, All of my doubt, Suddenly goes away somehow, One step closer.'_

As the chorus echoed throughout the room, Marissa watched her son dance with his other mother and the woman she loved. As silly as it sounded, she wanted to be AJ at that moment.

"I don't think he'd mind if you cut in," Kendall said to Marissa with a mischievous beam on her face. "Go for it Red," she whispered.

Gathering all of her courage, Marissa listened to Kendall and moved towards Bianca and AJ.

"Wipe that smirk off your face Aunt Kendall, I saw you with the DJ." Miranda said.

"Whatever do you mean Junior?"

Marissa tapped AJ's shoulder, nervously.

"Do you mind?" She asked. AJ smiled and immediately let go of Bianca.

Marissa held her hand out to Bianca as the second verse of the song began. As soon as the word _brave_ was sung, Bianca was just that and grabbed Marissa's hand, trying to ignore the jolt of electricity that she felt run up the course of her arm the moment their palms touched. Marissa pulled Bianca close to her form as she wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck. Bianca rested herself against Marissa's elegant form, wrapping her arms around her waist. The two swayed, completely in sync and completely unaware of anything else around them. Marissa felt as if she had been waiting for this moment for eternity, holding her wife in her arms again, entirely invested in her and her alone. The world ceased to exist as the chorus was heard, reflecting Marissa's inner thoughts _I have died everyday waiting for you._ Bianca rested her cheek against Marissa's temple. Her pulse raced swiftly throughout her body. She could feel a connection between her and the woman she held. She couldn't explain it and she didn't know why she was so drawn to the redhead, but for the moment, she didn't want to know, only feel.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

11:00 had neared and Bianca had been there for over three hours. She soon found herself in need of the bathroom. She exited the hall and headed to the ladies room. On the way, once she was within the confined passageway to the restroom, someone had placed a hand on her arm, stopping her, a police officer.

"Bianca Montgomery?" He asked.

"Yes?"

"I have a warrant for your arrest."

Meanwhile, Marissa and Kendall were talking by the bar and realized that Bianca was nowhere to be seen. She had been on the dance floor moments prior, but now, she wasn't anywhere. Marissa began to panic and she and Kendall left the confines of the hall to search for Bianca.

"Maybe she went to the bathroom." Kendall reasoned.

"Yeah, let's look there." _Please be there. _She and Kendall took off towards the restrooms and could see and hear Bianca speaking to someone who seemed to be a law official.

"Excuse me? For what?"

"What's going on here?" Marissa asked, standing beside Bianca. She noticed the alarm that had befallen the officer's face and scrunched her eyebrows. Something felt wrong about this. Before she said anything else, she took another couple of steps so she stood directly between Bianca and the man she didn't recognize. "Kendall," she said calmly. "Go get your mother, Miranda, Jacob and Brot, please."

Kendall obliged without question or hesitation. Tearing her gaze away from the agent, she faced Bianca and took her hands. "Are you alright?"

"A little confused," she said.

"You're not the only one." Marissa stated and turned back to the officer. "What's this all about?"

"I have a warrant for Ms. Montgomery's arrest."

"Under what charges?" Marissa asked forcefully and extended her hand. "May I see the warrant?" The policeman handed Marissa the slip of paper he held and she read the charges. "'Tax evasion and fraud'?" Marissa asked. She gazed over the paper and noticed a number of differences in the design than what she was familiar with. "This is bullshit…literally. This isn't even a real warrant. The seal isn't even that of the Pine Valley Police Department," she stated.

"I could arrest you for obstruction of justice ma'am."

"Listen, moron," Marissa said strongly. "I'm a lawyer. I'm well aware of what a warrant looks like and what it entails. I _also_ know that five years ago the PVDP changed their seal. This," Marissa pointed out, "is the old crest. Which means this is a hoax. So, you better tell me what the hell is going on!"

The man whisked out a 9 mm caliber and pointed it at Marissa, no less than two feet between the two of them.

"Listen lady, I'm here to do _one_ thing and _one_ thing only. One way or another, I am walking out of here with Bianca Montgomery."

Marissa reached around behind her, keeping Bianca directly shielded by her body. She held Bianca in place by her hips, forcing her stay there.

"If you want her, you're going to have to pull that trigger and kill me because there is NO way you are getting NEAR her! The _only_ way is over my dead body and you _better_ believe that I will fight to make sure she is safe with my. Last. Breath… I'd sacrifice my beating heart before I lose her again!"

"A little collateral damage ain't worth all that much to me!"

"Marissa, don't," Bianca begged.

"He won't do it. He's trying to keep quiet. That'll just make too much noise."

"Sir, put the gun down!"

The 'cop' realized that there was no way out. Grinding his teeth, he listened to the commanding officer's demand. Jail was better than death, he decided.

Once Brot had the man in handcuffs, Marissa removed her hands from Bianca's waist before turning around and taking her face in her hands.

"You okay?" she asked. Bianca nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna take you home. We're gonna go home." Bianca nodded again as she watched Marissa turn to Miranda, Kendall and her mother.

"Good. I'll meet you guys there," Miranda said. "I have to stay to take care of this."

Jacob held onto the perpetrator while Brot took Bianca and Marissa's statements, after which he allowed them to leave.

"I hope this means that you will be reopening my daughter's case?"

"Absolutely Ms. Kane."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa bid Krystal good night after she explained to her why they came home earlier than anticipated. Throughout the entire exchange, Bianca had made her way to her bedroom to change out of her evening wear and into her pajamas. She couldn't help replaying everything in her mind. How Marissa had come to her aid and the power behind her voice. Was it any wonder that Bianca found herself completely drawn to Marissa? Closing the lights, she moved back up the stairs and once she reached the landing, she noticed that Marissa had been making her way down the stairs. No words were exchanged for the moment. They simply stood there in the faint light of the hallway.

"Are you okay?" Marissa asked, reaching out to place a gentle hand on Bianca's arm. Bianca took Marissa's hand and removed it from its spot. Marissa scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and a bit of fear. "What is it?" she asked, moving closer. It made Bianca take a step back.

"I don't know if I should be upset or-or…or grateful."

"What do you mean?"

"You stood in _front_ of a gun aimed and meant for me…" Bianca said as she pointed a light and delicate finger at Marissa.

"Yeah, and I'd do it again."

"Why?" Bianca asked. "It was a _stupid_ thing for you to do, Marissa!"

"We're you not listening? How many times do I have to tell you that I will _never_ let _anyone_ hurt you _ever_ again?"

"My life isn't worth yours."

"Don't say that."

"It's true! You have kids! They need you. You can't go around standing in front of guns because trouble seems to love finding me!"

Bianca walked away and headed to the family room. She needed to sit down. The argument and the overwhelming feelings and emotions were making her light-headed. Marissa followed and sat directly beside her.

"Bianca…none of this is your fault," Marissa said taking her hand. When Bianca tried to yank it away, Marissa tightened her grip, forcing Bianca to accept the gesture and look at her. "I'm _begging _you, _please_ don't _ever_ say that your life isn't worth it. It's worth everything to me. …There would be a huge hole in my life if you're not in it. I _hated_ these last three years without you here. A world where you don't exist isn't real to me… Where am I gonna find another you? It's not possible." Bianca tore her gaze from Marissa as the tears began to fall freely down her face. Marissa brought a gentle hand to Bianca's chin and forced her face to look at her. "It isn't…"

Bianca lunged forward and hugged Marissa tightly. She wrapped her arms around the redhead's neck and pulled her close, palming her head and sighing deeply. She caught the rousing scent of vanilla that she became familiar with and, bravely, kissed Marissa's temple.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda came in the house. It was nearly 2:00 AM and she yanked her heels off her feet and groaned softly as her nylon embedded and hot feet hit the cool tiles. She walked from the laundry room through the hall and noticed the light on in the family room. She went to turn it off but smiled at what she saw.

Both of her mothers were fast asleep. Marissa was leaning against the arm of one of the large couches, both feet rested comfortably on either side of Bianca's frame, which was parked comfortably and perfectly in Marissa's lap. Her arms enveloped Bianca's shoulders as they met at the front. The brunette's hands were rested leisurely on Marissa's arms. Her head lay in the crook of the redhead's neck as it tilted upward slightly, breathing in any scent that radiated from the nape. Marissa had her leaned forward as her cheek was positioned on the side of Bianca's head.

And then, Miranda turned out the lights.

o.o.O.O.o.o

Hope you enjoyed! Pleeeease review.

Song: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri


	11. Snow

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Marissa's POV**

AJ always said that the picture of Bianca and I that was on my desk in my office was the best one that she and I had together. It used to hang for the world to see in our family room, but under the circumstances, I had to force myself to take it down. I never noticed the smile on Bianca's face in that photograph – probably because I was so enthralled in the way I felt when I was near her, basking in every emotion that ran its course throughout my body… And I was so fixated on that one spot on her neck… I noticed the look of radiance on Bianca's face when I really studied it. There was a twinkle in her eyes that could outshine the sparkles of the new fallen snow that surrounded us…

I love the snow.

Tiny, frozen water droplets, each completely and utterly unique. 'No two snowflakes are alike.' Each one is unique, and yet when they fall, they never fall alone. One often clings to another…

It seems that my best memories involve the snow and the fact that I was surrounded by it during the greatest two weeks of my life is only one account. Waking up on any given day in the winter and looking out my window, I could see the newly fallen snow cover the ground surrounding my house, evenly. It looked phenomenal. The way its frosting blanketed the ground and sprinkled the branches of the barren trees, can transfer us to a world where it seems like heaven is within reach - tranquil, elevated, and harmless. I loved going sledding and getting into snowball fights…snowball fights…

"_You are __**so**__ dead now, you totally got me in the face!"_

"_No!"_

"_That's it! It's all over!"_

"_No! No!"_

"_You're dead!"_

"_Mercy, mercy."_

"_Ahh! I can't believe you got me in the face."_

"_Sorry. You all right? …Wow…but-but, God! That felt good!"_

"_Always trust your lawyer, right?"_

"…_We will…win, won't we?"_

"_Oh yeah! We'll win…I promise."_

Tranquil, elevated, and harmless.

I love the snow.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

The brunette entered the office – one she hadn't stepped into for a very long time. The familiarity of it all overwhelmed her and that certainly did nothing to calm the bundle of nerves that she had been reduced to. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the receptionist who was on the telephone. Waiting patiently, she looked around, wondering what this meeting would be like. She had thought of nothing else the entire way to the building.

"May I help you?" Denise asked her.

"Oh, sorry. Uh, I'm here to see Ms. Montgomery."

"She's currently on a conference call. You're welcome to wait over there if you'd like." Denise said, pointing to the two welcoming and comfortable chairs opposite to her.

"Thank you."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_**3 Hours Earlier**_

Marissa had been staring at the clock for the last hour. She left the house early that morning just so she could get a couple of hours of work done before Bianca came to pick her up. She had promised her a day together, just the two of them. She had a mission…well, two. The first was to find Miranda and AJ an amazing birthday gift each. Today was their 19th birthday. The other was that Marissa had been mulling over whether or not she should give Griffin the green flag to call Maggie. Then she realized that this wasn't her decision to make. It was Bianca's. Bianca was a big girl and knew herself better than anybody. So why should she be the one to make this decision? Who was Marissa to make that call? If Bianca wanted Maggie here, then she should. So, Marissa decided that she would ask Bianca about it while they were out today. However, Marissa knew that if Bianca _did_ want Griffin to call Maggie, that she would be devastated on multiple levels. She would be risking everything; she would be risking losing Bianca…for good, possibly. But if Bianca was happy, then that's all that mattered to Marissa…no matter how much it caused her pain.

The past month had been difficult for Marissa. Ever since the night of the opening of the Safe House for the Miranda Centre, Marissa had become overly worried about Bianca. She didn't want to seem like the overprotective wife, which she was (she just didn't want to show it), but she couldn't help it when it came to Bianca. She hadn't lied that night to, whom the police had revealed to her and Bianca, Dustin Meyers. Marissa refused to be without her wife for any amount of time, which came to her next struggle: Bianca. Not being able to be near her the way Marissa wanted to had been eating away at her from the inside out. Anytime Bianca had made some sort of physical connection to her – held her hand, hugged her, offered a comforting touch – Marissa found that her skin would catch fire. Her eyes would wander and always land on Bianca's smiling and shapely mouth. She could not believe how much those lips tempted her. It was becoming more and more grueling to keep pulling away from her.

_How did this happen to her? How was it that within a week Marissa had woken up before Bianca had? And why was it always that Bianca was in her arms when it happened? Memories from the previous night came flooding back to Marissa; the Gala and the man who had tried to get Bianca to leave with him – willingly or forcefully, it didn't matter to him. She remembered the anger that rose within her, the way the adrenaline from her fear pumped viciously through her veins, and the look of confusion and panic written in Bianca's eyes. The thought that someone would scare, threaten or hurt Bianca in any way caused Marissa's rage to increase. That, mixed with the realization that Bianca's head rested comfortably between her cheek and collarbone, caused her heartbeat to intensify. Unconsciously, Marissa tightened her hold on Bianca, causing the brunette to sigh and stir._

"_G'morning," she muffled._

"_Hey you," Marissa replied. Bianca shifted a little and looked up at Marissa with a smile before she realized the position they were in. She slowly lifted her head and sat up as Marissa released her from her arms. Blushing, Bianca muttered "sorry" before she folded her hands and placed them in her lap._

"_It's okay," Marissa said. "How are you feeling?"_

"_I'm fine." Bianca said quietly. _

"_Good." Marissa could feel the awkward tension between them and immediately despised it. She hadn't felt this since Bianca had told her that she was attracted to her at the resort. "Okay uh…why-why does this-" _

"_F-feel weird? I dunno… Has this ever happened before? Between us, I mean?"_

"_Once…"_

"_About?"_

"_I uh…" Marissa recalled to how uncomfortable things had become after Bianca confessed her feelings, how Marissa had denied her own affection, how she lied to the brunette. "…I lied to you."_

_Upon hearing this, Bianca raised her eyebrows. _

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah, not proud of it. But we got through it and we'll get through this." Marissa tried to sound convincing, but she wasn't certain about anything anymore. _

"_Okay," Bianca replied._

"_So… How you doing after last night?"_

"Hey you!"

Marissa looked up from the file in front of her that she had, somehow, managed to finish unbeknownst to her and saw the woman she loved smiling at her. Bianca leaned against the doorframe of the entrance to Marissa's office.

"Hi," Marissa greeted her. She returned the large smile and collected the multitude of sheets that lay fanned out before her.

"Oooh," Bianca said as she pointed to the window embedded in Marissa's door. "Name on the door. Look at you, big shot!"

Marissa began to chuckle. "Yeah. That's why they pay me the big bucks."

"Oh really? It's not because you're an amazing lawyer?" Bianca quipped.

"Nope! It's my name on the door," she said. Marissa rose from her chair and gathered her things. "The lawyer thing is just a cover." She winked and Bianca's response was a light-hearted giggle.

"I see," she said. "You ready?"

"Yup," Marissa said.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

When they arrived at _Krystal's_ the lunch rush was just beginning. They were able to get a table with no problems, not that Krystal would deny them one.

"Wow," Marissa said plopping into the booth. "I forgot how packed this place could get at this time of day."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I haven't been here in a while to be honest…for lunch anyways."

"Well, well. If it isn't my two favourite ladies. How are you two doing?" Krystal said as she arrived at their table. The two of them looked up at Krystal who wore a knowing grin and placed a hand on her hip. "What can I get ya two?" She asked.

"Oh uh…just an iced tea for now Krystal. Thanks," Bianca said as she looked down, going over the items on the menu.

"Okay," Krystal said before turning to Marissa. A smirk made its way to her face. She tried to suppress her laughter as she noticed the way Marissa stared at Bianca. Her face was perched in the palm of her hand as her elbow rested on the tabletop. Her hazel eyes had nearly disappeared behind the black of her pupils as they dilated. Her gaze had wandered to Bianca's lips…again and she had almost failed to hear Krystal, softly, calling her name.

"Marissa? Honey?"

Bianca looked at Marissa out of her periphery. Gazing at the redhead, she noticed the trance she was in.

"Heh?" Marissa said. She blinked and then looked to Krystal, whose eyebrows were raised and the smirk on her face had grown into a full-blown grin. "Oh uh, same for me. Thanks."

"Okay," Krystal said before she disappeared.

Marissa looked at Bianca and smiled shyly.

"Sorry…I guess I blacked out for a moment there."

"It's okay. Actually, I uh…I have to use the ladies room… Uh, where-?"

"Oh," Marissa interrupted. "The bar on your left side."

"Thanks," Bianca said as she excused herself. As she walked away, Marissa couldn't help but watch after her. The way her hips swayed made Marissa feel flustered and the more she tried to avert her gaze, the more powerful her itch to steal another peek at the brunette had become. When Bianca disappeared behind the wall, she let out the breath she was unaware that she had been holding in. If there was one other thing other than Bianca's lips or eyes that made Marissa's skin ignite, it was the way Bianca's hips could move, whether she was walking or dancing to her heart's content.

_Marissa jiggled the key in the lock of the door in the garage. When it had finally been released, she pushed the door open to a mouthwatering scent and the sound of a fun and upbeat tempo. She closed the door behind her and walked through the halls of her home. Marissa hadn't the slightest idea as to what she would find once she walked into the kitchen. Sure, she had come home to this kind of setting before – the fragrance of an appetizing dish and music from the 80s, but, normally, the music that had infiltrated her ears was that of Foreigner…not Simple Minds… Placing her stuff down at the entrance of the family room, she took a look into the room and saw that it was completely empty. The 'hey, hey, hey, hey' coming from the sound system made her laugh a little and she continued her stroll, further into the house. She stopped when she reached the kitchen and leaned, stealthily, against structure of the entrance. Crossing her arms, she smirked at the sight before her, trying very hard to overpower her fierce need laugh out loud. _

_Bianca was dancing all around the kitchen, hopping around and kicking her feet. The shuffle of her feet had her legs alternating, back and forth, as her arms mirrored their motion. Her shoulders rolled, completely in sync with her arms, and her head moved in any direction she so desired. Her coffee-coloured waves flowed haphazardly as she willed her body to move around in any direction, while still keeping up with her dance moves. Marissa noticed that Bianca had yet to become aware of her presence and smiled even more because of it. Suddenly, her back to Marissa, Bianca stopped as the song slowed down and words continued to be sung. 'As you walk on by, will you call my name?' was all Marissa had heard before she stopped her jaw from dropping from what she saw next. Bianca had begun to gyrate her hips and Marissa was completely spellbound._

_Bianca turned around and stopped the instant she noticed Marissa standing framework of the kitchen's entry. She smirked bashfully when she noticed the amused grin on Marissa's face, complete with a raised eyebrow._

"_How long have you been standing there?" Bianca asked._

"_Long enough to know that Molly Ringwald was dancing in my kitchen." Marissa's smile never faltered and she noticed the song's beat lower considerably until all that could be heard was the stable rhythm of a lonely drum. Marissa walked into the kitchen towards Bianca, mischief written all over her expression. When the tempo of the song struck up again and the careless 'la, la, la, la' of the song, Marissa had begun to dance as Bianca had just moments ago. "C'mon!" She exclaimed when she noticed her wife's surprised beam. Bianca continued her little 'Breakfast Club' routine and Marissa grabbed her hand in the process. She twirled her and the two of them could do nothing but laugh._

"Marissa? Marissa Tasker?"

Marissa looked up at the man with hypnotizing eyes and dashing smile.

"Avery? Oh my God! Hi. How are you?" She asked as he pulled her in for a hug.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca had the biggest smile on her face as she thought about Marissa. _She's incredible. _After she had caught Bianca dancing around her kitchen last night, Marissa had decided to join in on the fun. The pair of them twirled and swayed all over the kitchen and eventually, they ended up at the counter out of breath and in a heap of laughter.

"_Are you making what I think you're making?" Marissa inquired._

"_If you're thinking double chocolate fudge cake, then yes."_

_Marissa moaned with delight. _

"_Damn! I'm powerless before chocolate cake!"_

"_I know."_

_Marissa stopped and immediately turned her head from the batter to Bianca's face._

"_Really? You remember that?"_

"_Well…no…sorry," Bianca said when she noticed that the redhead's look of excitement faltered. "Sofia told me it was your favourite when I asked her," Bianca confessed. "I just wanted to do something nice for you, thank you for being so patient with me and-"_

_Marissa pulled Bianca closer to her and wrapped her arms around the brunette. Sighing, Bianca added "I just wanted to say thank you."_

_Still holding onto Bianca, Marissa snickered._

"_You don't need to thank me."_

_Bianca caught a whiff of Marissa's sweet, candied odour and tried to subdue the audible moan of longing that she was sure would escape her mouth._

"_Hey, how 'bout we spend the day together tomorrow? Just the two of us," Marissa suddenly said as she pulled away. Bianca was grateful for it because another millisecond and she would have released the breath she was holding. When Bianca didn't say anything, Marissa said, "please?"_

"_Huh?"_

_Marissa smiled._

"_You and me. Tomorrow. Girl's day. We'll do something silly."_

_Bianca gave Marissa a look of stunned bewilderment._

"'_Something silly?' Like what?"_

"_Hmmm…something fun."_

"_Well, that narrows it down." Bianca quirked._

"_Well, the mall for sure. It's Miranda and AJ's birthday tomorrow so I could use your help with choosing something for them."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah. They're 19."_

"_Uh…I dunno."_

"_C'mon. Please? And hey, I could come up with something fun. Even something for us old ladies." Marissa smirked, which Bianca reciprocated._

"'_Us old ladies?' Okay, ladies, definitely. Old? Not a chance." Bianca began to move backwards. "Except you…maybe."_

_Marissa's grin changed to a look of playful shock within a split-second._

"_Bianca Montgomery! You take that back right now!"_

"_Nope!"_

"_Yes!"_

"_Make me…" Bianca challenged._

"_Oh, that's it! You're dead!"_

_Marissa chased Bianca around the table once before she caught up with her. Bianca could feel Marissa's slender hands grip her at her waist and yank her backwards, causing their bodies to collide. Within an instant, Marissa's slight fingers began to tickle her sides, causing Bianca to wiggle uncontrollably._

"_No! Marissa! Ahh! C'mon! No!"_

"_Take it back!"_

"_No!"_

"_Take it back or I'm not stopping!"_

"_Okay! Okay! You're not old! You're far from it!"_

_Marissa slowly stopped tickling Bianca, who still laughed until she realized just how close the two of them were. She could feel the pounding of her heart in her chest escalate as she noticed the intimate way their bodies connected. Marissa's hands were still on her waist, making it even more difficult for Bianca to fight the urge to lean that extra little bit forward. __**She's married. She's married. She's married.**__ She kept repeating in her head. She had been so focused on her inner mantra that she hadn't notice Marissa pulling away from her until the heat that had once emanated from Marissa's body, colliding with hers, had become nonexistent._

"_So," Marissa said as she cleared her throat. "Tomorrow?"_

"_Tomorrow."_

Appearing from behind the doors of the restrooms, Bianca wore, what she would categorize as, a foolish grin. It quickly changed when her eyes fell on Marissa and the man she was interacting with.

"Hey you," Krystal said from behind the bar as she noticed Bianca emerging from the restroom with an envious gleam in her eye. Krystal's eyes followed the path that Bianca's had and settled upon Marissa and Avery.

"Who's that?"

"That's Avery," Krystal replied. "He's an electrician. Did the work for the Miranda Centre Safe House."

"Oh…"

Bianca watched the two of them interact. The smile on Marissa's face was infectious and this guy, Avery, was gesturing in ways that Bianca couldn't comprehend. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but, whatever it was, it caused Marissa to laugh. Krystal watched as Bianca stood there watching the two of them and it only caused Krystal to snigger under her breath. _She's jealous._

"Oh I wouldn't worry honey. He only asked her out once and she told him, flat-out, no."

"Worry?" Bianca asked with a slight, unconvincing giggle in her throat. "Why would I worry? I'm not worried."

"Are you sure?" Krystal asked as Bianca refocused on Marissa.

"Yeah, of course. How long have they been talking?"

"Just a couple of minutes…"

"That long?"

Krystal laid a comforting hand on Bianca's arm.

"Honey…are you jealous?"

"Krystal, c'mon. No. Of course not."

"I think you are."

"N-no. No I'm not. I just…I just think that he's coming on a bit too strong." Bianca simply stated.

"I think she's okay. And you know she's married, right?"

"Yeah…yeah I know." Bianca said. She turned her body and looked at Krystal.

"Are you okay, Bianca?"

"I don't know…"

"You have feelings for Marissa…don't you?"

Bianca turned her head and watched as Marissa spoke to Avery and wished she hadn't because that was when Marissa averted her gaze from Avery to Bianca. Bianca noticed the way Marissa's smile widened when she looked at her and the way that gleam in her eye that Bianca had come to know glistened as the light hit it. It was a look that mesmerized Bianca every time she found herself caught in it. It was the look that gave rise to the ball of pleasurable tension in her stomach that caused her limbs to grow weak. Reluctantly, Bianca turned her attention away from Marissa to Krystal before nodding to Krystal's question and replied.

"Am I crazy?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Did you like the food?" Marissa asked as she and Bianca walked through the entrance of the park. The trees welcomed them as a gust of wind blew past them, causing the branches of the evergreen trees to shake off the shimmery snow. Some had fallen onto Bianca's face, which gave reason for Marissa to chuckle. "Oh, hold on." She said before Bianca could reply. Removing her hand from her pocket, Marissa placed it on Bianca's cheek, brushing the frozen powder off of her face and giving her a loving smile. "All better."

"Thank you…and yeah, the food was really good."

"Good. I'm glad."

Bianca shot Marissa a momentary smirk before it left her face and her eyes focused on the ground. Marissa scrunched her eyebrows at Bianca's antics and placed a hand in front of Bianca, stopping her from walking any further. Noticing that her abdomen had collided with Marissa's hand, Bianca looked up and turned her gaze to Marissa.

"Bianca, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing. Why?"

"You know, you never were a good liar. Tell me. What's on your mind?"

Bianca remained silent. Marissa smiled softly.

"Y'know…if you _don't_ tell me…I will be forced to resort to my old ways…"

Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, Bianca watched as Marissa turned away from her and watched as she bent over.

"Your 'old ways'?" Bianca asked.

"Yuuup!" Marissa said right before she launched a snowball at her wife's chest.

Stunned, Bianca looked down at herself and then to the ground where Marissa's ammunition had found itself.

"Did you seriously just throw a snowball at me?" Bianca blinked rapidly, sensing the familiar feeling of déjà vu come over her.

"_Did you seriously just throw a snowball at me?"_

"Oh yeah!" Marissa said.

"Are you kidding right now?" The feeling came over Bianca again. She could hear those words like an echo from her past.

"_Are you kidding right now?"_

"No, I'm not kidding you!" Marissa said as she formed another cold and wet snowball in her ungloved hands before throwing it at Bianca, who moved out of the way this time.

"_No, I'm not kidding you."_ There was laughter. Bianca could hear laughter.

"Look, I dunno why you're upset, but I know you are. And I understand if you don't wanna tell me, but that won't stop me from trying to cheer you up. So, that said…" Marissa bent over again, but as she turned around, Bianca hurled a snowball catching Marissa, square, in the face.

"Oh that's it Montgomery! You're _so_ dead! You got me in the face!"

Marissa yelled as she watched Bianca run away from her, but not before she stuck out her tongue playfully. She ran for cover, but couldn't escape entirely. Bianca heard the _whoosh_ of a snowball as it flew past her head, grazing her ear. The cold, icy substance caught a portion of the side of her face and she ducked on instinct.

"_No one's around right now. You can scream! Scream! Let it out! AHHHH!"_

Crawling to the safety of the bench, Bianca ignored the voice in her head and focused on the small, intimate war that Marissa had started with her. She gathered up a snowball and peered through the slits in the bench and took note of Marissa as she bent down. The moment Marissa stood, Bianca fired her snowball, hitting Marissa in the chest.

"_I have never really been much of a screamer."_

"_No?"_

Bianca brought her palms to her forehead, trying to get rid of the voices. She shut her eyes tightly, but all she could see was a scene similar to the one she currently found herself in. She was wearing a red coat and a flash of auburn hair stood in front of her and was speaking to her. She knew that voice. She knew that hair. She knew that face. _Marissa._

"'_Do you really want all that rage and frustration to eat away at you'? Hmm? Your words to me when I thought David was dead and I was trying _so_ hard to deal."_

"_And Kendall gave you a lamp."_

"_And I destroyed it," Marissa said proudly, clutching the strap of her purse._

"_And half the room."_

"_Mmhmm." Marissa laughed as she turned her head to look at the bench behind her. "Yeah." She said shortly, walking away. "Well, there aren't any lamps here right now, but," she continued, clumping snow in her bare hands. "Y'know," she finished as she tossed a snowball at Bianca._

"_Did you seriously just throw a snowball at me?"_

"_Oh yeah! It felt good…" Marissa walked past Bianca as she said, "you should try it." She arrived at the opposite bench and made another snowball._

"_Are you kidding right now?_

"_No, I'm not kidding you." She chuckled as she turned around to look at Bianca. "No one's around right now." She shot the snowball at Bianca and her small chuckle turned into a full and hearty laugh. "You can scream! Scream! Let it out! AHHHH!" She continued to laugh._

"_I have never really been much of a screamer."_

"_No?"_

"_But I have been told I have…pretty…good…aim."_

"_You are __**so**__ dead now, you totally got me in the face!"_

"_No!"_

"_That's it! It's all over!"_

"_No! No!"_

"_You're dead!"_

"_Mercy, mercy."_

"_Ahh! I can't believe you got me in the face."_

"_Sorry. You all right? …Wow…but-but, God! That felt good!"_

"_Always trust your lawyer, right?"_

"…_We will…win, won't we?"_

"_Oh yeah! We'll win…I promise."_

"Bianca?"

Bianca could feel herself coming out of…well, she didn't know where she had just gone off to. But she knew she had seen that before. Why did she feel like she had lived through that? Maybe she had…

"Bianca? Bianca? Talk to me? Are you okay?" Marissa had seen the brunette clutching the back of the bench, trying to steady herself. The moment she had seen that, she dropped the snowball from her grasp and ran to Bianca.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes at the sound of Marissa's voice. She was holding her hands and Bianca allowed herself to look at the way they looked together. A smile dawned on her face and she sighed. The way her emotions soared at the touch of Marissa's hand clutching hers amazed her and that memory, or so she hoped, was…

"Unbelievable," Bianca whispered.

"What?" Marissa asked. Her voice was full of worry. "What's unbelievable?"

_Just ask her,_ Bianca thought.

"Uhh…I think I just had a-…another mem-memory," Bianca mumbled.

"What was it?" Marissa asked with a small smile and rubbed a hand up and down Bianca's back.

"A snowball fight…be-between you and me. You uh…you were trying get me to umm…let out my emotions over something, umm a case…my case, I guess? And you threw a snowball at me…"

As Bianca made a full recount of one of, what Marissa considered, one of the most precious and defining moments in their relationship, she couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. _She remembers… oh God, she remembers! _Marissa couldn't take it anymore. With great swiftness, she burst forward, grabbing Bianca around her waist and hoisted her into the air before yelling a deafening "YES!" She spun Bianca around and began to laugh. Bianca, noticing Marissa's excitement, couldn't help the laughter that leaked out of her own mouth. She cloaked Marissa's neck with her arms, holding on as her best friend continued to whirl the two of them around. Bianca couldn't help the alluring idea that popped into her head at that moment to look at Marissa. The redhead was wearing a priceless smile as she craned her head back, as if thanking the heavens for the memory. Bianca leaned down and rested her chin on Marissa's shoulder and laughed in her ear. Marissa shivered as her laughter died down and noticed the way Bianca was holding onto her.

Marissa leaned back slightly, causing Bianca to lift her head from her shoulder. She set Bianca down on solid ground and took a deep breath. The cold rushed up her nostrils, freezing her throat, but she never felt warmer in her entire life. She felt peaceful, elated, wholesome…tranquil, elevated, harmless… She felt like she was in paradise, holding Bianca in her arms and being held by Bianca. It had been so long since they had been like this. Marissa was growing tired…tired of fighting every urge she had, fighting the ache in her heart that decided to scream at her every time Bianca walked into a room. She bore her gaze into Bianca's, captivating the endless, chocolate swirls that were Bianca's eyes. She didn't know how long it had been, but Marissa heard her wife's breath hitch. She tore her gaze from Bianca's intense stare, much to her chagrin, and had begun to stare at her lips. Licking her own, Marissa took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat before she shut her eyes and leaned in, crushing her lips into Bianca's.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"I'm here to see Ms. Montgomery."

"She's currently on a conference call. You're welcome to wait over there if you'd like." Denise said, pointing to the two welcoming and comfortable chairs opposite to her.

"Thank you."

As soon as she sat down, another woman entered the office with a wide smile on her face. She walked right up to the desk and rested her crossed arms, comfortably, on the small rise and flashed a million dollar smile.

"Hi Denise!"

Denise looked up from her computer and grinned.

"Gabby! How are you?"

"I'm good. Is she here?"

"Of course. She's on a call, but go right on in. She'd kill me if I didn't let you."

"Thanks!"

Gabby moved towards the door and as she went to grab the handle, but the door was yanked open before she had the chance.

"GABBY!"

The two women collided, hugging each other. Pulling away, the pair of them made their way to Denise.

"Denise! Do I have the greatest baby sister or what? She came and surprised me on my birthday."

"That you do, but-"

"I'll be back in a bit. We're gonna go grab some food. It's 3:00, but I haven't eaten all day."

"Okay, of course Miranda, but before you do that, you have a client."

Denise pointed to the woman behind her. Miranda turned her head and the woman who sat stood. Miranda's eyes widened first with shock and then with anger.

_Maggie Stone…_

o.o.O.O.o.o

OH! DOUBLE WHAMMY! I MUST stop doing this :P I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review.

In case any of you were wondering/couldn't figure out which song Bianca and Marissa were dancing to, it was "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds.


	12. Conscience

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Miranda's POV**

**Mistake**…to be wrong about something; to perform an action that's misguided or wrong; to misidentify someone…

**Regret**…to feel sad, repentant, or disappointed about something that's happened or been done; to express apology for or sadness over something unfortunate…

**Remorse**…deep regret or guilt for doing something wrong…

**Shame**…the painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behaviour; loss of respect or esteem or dishonour; a regrettable or unfortunate situation or action…

**Guilt**…the fact of having committed a specified or implied offense…

What do all of these words have in common? An effect on your conscience! That inner feeling or voice that guides your behaviour…it lets you know what's right and what's wrong based on how you were brought up. If someone falls because they missed a step coming down the stairs, do you point and laugh at them or do you offer your hand and help them get back on their feet? When someone you thought you could trust does something to question your views of who they are, do you jump to the assumptions that you've created in your mind or do you wait to hear them out, let them explain their actions? When someone you considered a mother figure in the past looks at you with guilty eyes with a shimmer of incredulity, do you allow yourself to feel those initial emotions of anger because you feel betrayed or do you do what you were taught to do: calm down and act rationally? What about those moments when you're convinced you should be with someone, but then something happens…something you can't explain…something you can't help and when it's over, you can't help the shame that's mixing with the adrenaline coursing throughout your veins.

The phrases of the guilty conscience:  
>"I made a mistake."<br>"I regret doing that."  
>"I'm filled with remorse."<br>"I'm ashamed of myself."  
>"I feel so guilty."<p>

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_You have got to be kidding me! I thought I told Griffin not to call her! Why is she here? What does she want? This can't be a coincidence! What should I do? Please, give me a sign. Just breathe…breathe…_

"Maggie Stone?"

Gabby raised her eyebrows. She had always heard about her mother's past loves, especially Maggie Stone. She had been told the story of their friendship, how Maggie was there for Bianca after Michael Cambias had raped her, and even the fact that she was one of the few people that her mother had trusted with telling her secret – both Michael Cambias sexually assaulting her _and_ the result of that night: the conception of her older sister. However, despite all of the good things Maggie had done for her mother and the joy that she had, apparently, brought to Bianca's life, she couldn't forgive or forget the pain and hurt she had inflicted. Maggie was uncertain at the beginning, but soon formed a deeper relationship with her mom. Miranda had even gone as far to consider her a mother, even though the formal adoption papers were never drawn. _Why's she here now? She ought to be ashamed of herself for being here now after all these years… Great, now I sound like my grandmother! _The lies and the cheating and the pain this woman caused two of the most important people in her life brought a blazing irritation to her.

"Uh, yes." Maggie voiced.

Gabby had remained silent through the entire interaction.

"What are you doing here?"

Maggie was confused.

"I'm looking for Bianca. Is she here?"

Miranda shook her head. "No. She isn't. You either talk to me or Erica Kane."

The telephone rang. Miranda ignored the annoying chimes that echoed in the office space. Her patience was already wearing thin and she wanted the incessant droning to cease to exist.

"Um, Miss Montgomery?"

Miranda turned her head to look at Denise who had placed whoever was on the phone on hold. "Yes?"

"It's Mr. AJ Chandler. He wishes to speak to you. Would you like me to take a message?"

Miranda looked back at Maggie, whose eyebrows remained furrowed in puzzlement. It was then that Miranda realized that it had yet to hit Maggie who she was. At this, Miranda was thrilled and had to keep herself from smirking.

"Umm…no. No thanks Denise. I'll take the call now."

The receptionist stretched the phone over the counter of her desk, handing the device to Miranda. She opened the line and while Miranda could hear her brother's voice and the edgy tone that depicted it, she kept her gaze firmly on Maggie.

"Hello?"

"_Happy Birthday twin."_

"Happy Birthday to you too. You okay? What's up?" She asked concerned.

"_Uhh, y'know how we do big favours for each other every year instead of buy each other gifts?"_

"Yeah."

"_I was wondering if you had anything planned yet…"_ AJ sounded scared.

"Uh, nope. Not yet. Why?"

"_Would you mind if I…requested mine from you?"_

Miranda chuckled lightly.

"Go ahead, ask me."

"_I was gonna go down to the State Pen to see my dad. I was hoping you would come with me. The last time I went there, I'll admit, he scared the shit outta me. Threatening all of us, still. I mean you'd think he woulda calmed down, but he didn't. I went to see him a couple of years ago, remember? Just a few months after Mom went missing? He's gonna be out on parole in a few months. I wanna know what I'm dealing with when the time comes. Will you come with me?_"

"Uh…" If she were being honest, Miranda didn't want to go anywhere for the time being. She just had a bombshell drop in on her and she didn't know what to do. AJ had always been there for her and for the last nine years, she and AJ had begun their own little tradition on their birthday. They figured that they would end up being real twins one day because of the way their mothers were together and that made them happy. However, they always wished that they could get each other gifts on their own, without anyone's help. Being two ten year olds, the pair of them couldn't exactly afford to buy each other the material things that they were used to getting from their family members. So, they decided that they would do something nice for each other – whether it be to pull a prank, draw a picture, beg one of the adults for more cake and whatnot. She couldn't break their little thing. However, Miranda now had responsibilities and other familial obligations to fulfill. Even though she was unaware of it for the time being, Bianca needed Miranda. Miranda felt that she had a role to uphold; protector.

_It's my birthday…my day, I'm gonna do what I want. Maggie left, came back and got what she deserved. She left us. She can wait._

"_Meems?"_

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'll come with you."

She could hear AJ breathe a sigh of relief.

"_Thanks Mimo. I'll pick you up in an hour at the house, okay?"_

"Perfect," she said before AJ said goodbye and hung up. Denise held out her hand to accept the phone from Miranda's grasp. It amazed her how much her pulse had calmed down within the last few minutes that she had been speaking to her brother. Gabby wore a look of concern as Miranda noticed her little sister and then moved, slowly away from Denise's desk. She looked at Maggie. She would get to the bottom of this.

"What are you doing here?"

"I told you. I'm here to see Bianca."

"Well, you can't." Gabby said, stepping in, wanting to help her sister.

"Gabz, it's okay. I meant why are you here? You never call, write, email. You've been silent for the last, pfft, I dunno…15, 16 years? Why are you back in Pine Valley? What made you come back?"

Maggie noticed the look in Miranda's eye. She watched as they turned from pale green to brown within seconds. She wanted to believe that the woman in front of her was the little girl that she once knew and loved; the little girl that she had regarded as her own child; the little girl who she no longer recognized.

"I uh…got a call from an assistant to a Dr. Castillo."

Miranda and Gabby looked at each other. The younger of the two noticed her sister's look on her face change from one of serenity to vexation.

"An assistant to Dr. Castillo? Really?"

"Yes. She said that Bianca was in a tragic accident that resulted in retrograde amnesia and that she needed me. So I came."

_Oh crap,_ Gabby thought.

"Denise?"

"Yes, Miranda?"

"Get Dr. Griffin Castillo on the phone. Tell him to get down here. And tell him to bring another doctor along with him. He's gonna need one by the time I'm through with him."

"N-no. Denise, don't do it." Gabby said. She reached out for Miranda's shoulder. "Miranda, you're not thinking okay? You make him come down here, you'll just be yelling at him and you don't have time for this okay? You're better than this. Don't let her get to you."

"Don't let her get to me? Gabby, you _do_ know who this is right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"She's a lying, cheating-"

"I'm right here," Maggie interrupted.

"Oh, shut up! You think I don't know _why_ you're here? C'mon! I'm not stupid."

"I'm here because your mother needs me!"

"NO! You're _here_ because you're feeling guilty! You think that now that she can't remember anything that happened between the two of you and the bitch you cheated on her with,_ you_ can use this opportunity to get a second chance!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

AJ was nervous…anxious…apprehensive. The last time he had seen his father, he had just turned 17 years old and, stupidly, he decided to travel by train then by bus to see his father without letting anyone know about his little adventure. He had skipped all of his classes that day, which resulted in a two-day suspension.

"Just relax," Miranda said from the passenger's seat of AJ's red Fiat 500.

"Sorry. I'm just nervous."

"Yeah, and with good reason. We're heading to a prison."

"That's not why I'm nervous."

Miranda looked at AJ whose facial expression remained inscrutable. While his look said one thing, his eyes screamed with terror.

"Why then?"

He sighed. A part of him didn't want to say anything, only continue to keep on driving, but a larger part couldn't help but open up to his sister.

"The last time I came here, he wouldn't stop threatening us. The guy was in prison for almost 10 years at the time on a 15-year sentence. You think he would've calmed down. I hate what the alcohol did to him. You know he tried to convince me that this was your mom's doing? I can't tell you how many times he promised me that he would stay sober or that I came before his job… He didn't wanna hear it when I tried to defend you guys. I regret going over there that day. I shoulda just stayed at school."

"So…why go see him at all then? And today of all days?"

"It's the one day out of the year that you can't say no to me if I ask for something. Plus, like I said, he's eligible for parole in 5 months and, knowing my dad, he's gonna get out. I just wanna know who I'm dealing with."

Miranda smirked as she looked at her brother.

"Y'know…you could've asked on any random day, and I still woulda been here for you."

AJ smirked and released a deep breath, grateful to have Miranda with him.

"Thanks Mimo."

AJ sat at the visitor's table; waiting for J.R Chandler to emerge from behind heavily guarded doors. Miranda sat with him, equally as anxious, yet just as determined to not let her own emotions and the events of the day dictate what she needed to do, who she needed to be for her brother in this moment. AJ was fiddling with his thumbs while shaking his left leg when a buzzer rang, signaling the opening of the doors. Two armed men escorted a man who AJ barely recognized, but knew was his father. His lengthy, blonde hair was disheveled and the cold, hard, blue eyes that would burn holes into your soul had dimmed. J.R Chandler had facial hair, not enough to bury his face, but a sufficient amount to hide behind. He wore a surprised look when he saw the two teenagers, but sat down nonetheless, resting his ironed hands on the table in front of him.

"Hi Bud," he said softly. "How are you?" He looked at the young lady to AJ's left and nodded. "Miranda."

"Hello J.R."

"How are you…Dad?"

His hesitation made J.R cringe momentarily, but not enough to let Miranda and AJ aware of it.

"I'm okay. Can't wait 'til I get out of here. How's everything with you? Your mom? I heard they found Bianca."

Miranda was growing uneasy. She had an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Don't talk about them," AJ said.

J.R held up his bounded hands.

"Sorry. I didn't know my questions had boundaries." He turned to Miranda. "How 'bout you beautiful?"

Miranda remained expressionless.

"What about me?" She replied.

"You don't have to answer him." AJ reassured her, but she just shook her head.

"I don't mind… I'm free, how about you?"

J.R chuckled.

"Oh, c'mon Little Montgomery…you're not free. I'm well aware of the fact that your mom has amnesia. That's gotta be putting you in a slammer of your own. She doesn't know who you are…"

"That's enough Dad! Is this what I have to look forward to if you get out?"

"Oh, AJ, c'mon! …I mean she can talk, but can she take it?"

"Anything you throw at me," Miranda replied. "Sorry, AJ we're here for you. You guys talk."

"Nah…I think I know that he won't change." AJ stated.

"Change?" J.R asked.

"Yeah. I was hoping that being in here would…I dunno…pipe dream I guess huh?"

"What were you hoping for son?" J.R questioned, desperation for AJ to speak growing in his face.

"I was hoping that after being in here, you would come to your senses and get over all of the bullshit you put yourself through! That _maybe_ you would overlook what you think Bianca and Mom did to you and focus on being the father I need you to be."

"But…I am, I will."

"Oh really? You have a _really_ weird way of showing it…"

"What are you talk-"

"Umm the little display you just showed me with my sister? _Why_ is this so damn difficult for you to grasp?"

"I _have_ grasped it!"

"I don't think you have! …You know what Dad? If you don't change for good and sincerely, you're gonna be alone when you get out of here! There's no remorse in you, is there? No guilty conscience…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca felt as if she were being lifted off of the ground again, but wiggling her toes, she found that not to be true. Her eyes shut immediately, the moment she felt Marissa's lips crashing into hers. Bianca stumbled backwards a bit at the force that Marissa had flung herself. She found it difficult to breathe or think. She didn't want it to end. Marissa's mouth was clamped to her own in a way she only dreamt about. From their tight, enfolded position on her waist, Bianca felt Marissa's left hand move and soon, it found a new spot right on the back of her head, tangled in her chestnut waves. Using both hands, keeping them firmly in place, Marissa pulled Bianca closer to her, moving her mouth from Bianca's lower lip to cover her upper lip. Taking a deep breath, or what she could, Bianca tightened her hold on Marissa's elbows, pulling her to a more close-knit position, keeping her hands on Marissa's elbows. _What are you doing Bianca? She's __**married**__!_ _This is a mistake! …Then why does this mistake feel so good?_

Bianca mentally kicked herself twice; once for forgetting that Marissa was married and once for remembering that Marissa was married. _You couldn't let me enjoy this for one second, could you? _She groaned to herself. Moving her mouth once more over Marissa's to simply remember the taste of her for later, Bianca began to pull away.

"N-no," Marissa murmured against the brunette's rousing mouth that she just didn't want to remove herself from. "No." She let her lips linger in Bianca's for a few seconds more before she, unwillingly, detached her lips from her wife's. She took a small step back and looked at Bianca, who wore a worried expression on her delicate face.

"I-I'm sorry," she muttered.

"What? Why?" Marissa asked.

"Uh…I-I shouldn't have done that. That, that shouldn't have happened. I'm so sorry."

"No, Bianca. It's fi-"

"We can just forget it. It was a mistake. Uh…you said you needed to find Miranda and AJ those gifts right? We should probably head out and get those now." She began to turn, hoping to escape the conversation that she couldn't have just yet.

"No, Bianca. Talk to me." Marissa said as she took a light hold of Bianca's arm, preventing her from going any further. "Did that? …Did I upset you by doing that?"

"What? Kiss me?"

Marissa nodded. "Yeah," she breathed out.

"N-no. It was…it was…nice."

"'Nice?'"

"It was good."

Marissa chuckled. _Am I making her nervous?_

"'Good?'"

"What do you want me to say?"

Marissa smiled brightly and shoved her hands in her coat pockets.

"Say…'yes'." Marissa said.

"'Yes?'"

"Yup…go on a date with me…"

"What?" Bianca asked.

"A date. With me. Say yes… Please?"

Bianca didn't know what to say. Looking at Marissa right now, she had only one comprehensible thought. _Say 'yes,' you idiot!_ But then she allowed her eyes to wander to her feet and she caught a glimpse of the sparkling diamond on Marissa's left hand. How could she say yes? Marriage was one of the institutions that Bianca had a firm belief in – the sanctity of a contract of love between two people that bound them to each other for the rest of their lives and beyond. From what she could remember, Bianca knew that her mother wasn't exactly the epitome of perfect and functioning marriages, but that didn't stop her from holding her beliefs. She couldn't say yes…not like this. _She's clearly still in love with whoever she is…_Bianca said to herself sadly. _Why can't I just remember everything? I can't do this! I can't say yes…but I want to…__**so badly!**_ She didn't know what she would say when she opened her mouth to answer, but she prayed that it would be the right one, whichever word escaped her mouth.

_Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes!_

"Uh…" Bianca smiled. "Y-"

"Bianca?"

Turning her head at the sound of the intruding voice, Bianca's eyes widened with surprise and cheer written clearly in them.

"Maggie…"

Marissa's eyes remained on Bianca's face for an instant longer before she turned her focus to Maggie Stone.

Bianca walked towards Maggie and all Marissa could do was watch.

She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times before she sighed and gently closed her eyes, almost feeling defeated.

"_Like anyone could ever keep me away from you for too long…"_

"_You know __**Mrs**__. Tasker-Montgomery…you owe me…"_

"_You lied to my face about it! When I asked you about it you-you flat out lied! And you __**know**__, you __**know**__ I can't take being lied to!"_

"_Umm… Y-you're Marissa, right?"_

"_But the time we're apart, just remember, I love you and don't forget it. The entire time that we're apart, don't forget that for a second."_

"_GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"_

"_So, they're, they're looking for her now. …I dunno what I'm gonna do if anything happens to her."_

"_When can I go home?"_

"_I feel used. Kissing me like that to get info. Not nice."_

"_Yeah it's great. It's perfect."_

"_You guys treated me as if you were completely comfortable and you were all so kind and caring. I could just be…me."_

"_You look…beautiful."_

"_You stood in __**front **__of a gun aimed and meant for me…"_

"_But I have been told I have…pretty…good…aim."_

"_A snowball fight…be-between you and me. You uh…you were trying get me to umm…let out my emotions over something, umm a case…my case, I guess? And you threw a snowball at me…"_

"She was gonna say 'yes'," Marissa whispered to herself. "She was gonna say 'yes'."

o.o.O.O.o.o

I think it's really either a) depressing b) coincidental and/or c) heartbreaking that I just happened to be listening to "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion while writing this last little scene in Marissa's head.

Hope you enjoyed


	13. Explanations

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Gabby's POV**

"Explain yourself."

"Let me explain."

"Offer an explanation."

As a high school student, I hear these and even read these statements often. In class, if the teacher asks a question and I raise my hand to answer it, simply stating the answer is never enough. It's always followed with "why?" It's not good enough to simply say that you agree with something. There's a reason involved. There has to be a reason for everything: every thought, every belief, every action…always an explanation. In academia, they call it analysis; in math, they call it proofs; in law, they call it evidence; in crime, they call it motive. If you hope for something, you often find that people ask you why. If you have aspirations for a certain career and you just so happen to tell someone, they always ask you 'why'?

Have you ever done something or said something that you wish you hadn't? Or you had absolutely no idea why you did it? It just seemed to be the most logical thing to do or say at the time… You find yourself asking 'why did I do that'? Or 'why did I say that'? And you just can't seem to come up with an answer to your question. You can't justify what you've done or said…

Things can never simply just…be.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Brot never thought that this process would be easy. Reopening a formerly closed case was always difficult, even if the evidence was substantial. He wouldn't have minded so much if this case were clear-cut and dry. The truth of the matter was that there was little to no evidence whatsoever with this case. The only thing that was certain was that Bianca Montgomery was alive and that she had been held against her will. He was completely devoid of multiple things: the true culprit, any evidence to build a firm case upon, motive… There were few things he _did_ know:

Dustin Meyers was an accomplice

Bianca's locket had been marked as evidence

Dustin referred to his employer as 'boss' and he didn't know who they were

He had questioned Meyers earlier in the week and the man had the nerve to ask for a deal. Brot knew not to be fooled. He knew that Meyers had little to no information about anything pertaining to the case and so he let the man wallow in his cell.

Rubbing his eyes, Brot took a deep breath before looking into his empty coffee mug…

He looked down at the communiqué taken when Bianca had come to the station with a couple of weeks ago a little while after the second abduction attempt.

_They didn't always have me blindfolded. I don't know when it was or how long it had been since I was kidnapped, but they only decided to blind me after I attacked one of them. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, their voice was being altered. They were torturing me… I managed to find something behind me. It felt like a broken pipe. With any strength I had I managed to hit them twice: once in the ribs and once in the leg. I can't remember anything after that. I had been knocked unconscious._

He was missing something and it was the one thing he knew would lead to the answer he was looking for.

But what was it?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Pain, fear, guilt, anger, and sadness – name it. Any morose emotion that could possibly be thought of had managed to run through Marissa's bloodstream. There was a tone of happiness and recognition…even relief in Bianca's voice when Maggie's name had escaped her mouth. Marissa knew about Bianca and Maggie's history – the good, the bad, and everything in between. Marissa knew about all of Bianca's past loves and even though some were more successful than others, she always thought that Bianca and Maggie's story was… She didn't know how to explain it. Their relationship was something to be reckoned with…even with its bitter ending. Marissa bit her lip in anxiety, not knowing which direction their lives were headed as of this moment, especially as she watched the love of her life wrap her arms around a woman who she was previously involved with. _No! Breathe! You trust her. You love her. Fight!_ Shaking herself from her thoughts, preventing herself from having to stare at Bianca and Maggie, Marissa walked, slowly, staring at the snow as it crunched beneath her feet.

"Hi," Bianca said shyly. Marissa noticed how Bianca's face seemed to light up as Maggie replied.

"Hi…how are you?"

"I-I'm good. You?"

"Good," Maggie nodded. "You look amazing."

"Thank you. …So do you. So where've you been?"

"I was hoping we could talk about that…without a watchdog…" Maggie said as she noticed Marissa standing a little bit behind Bianca, looking at the two of them. Turning around slightly, Bianca smiled at Marissa and laughed lightly.

"_Not_ a watchdog. This is Marissa Tasker," Bianca said, her smile growing to a full grin. "My best friend."

Marissa felt her fear ease a bit as her presence was acknowledged, but as Bianca said the words 'best friend,' she felt a small pang in her chest. After the events of the last few minutes, before Maggie had made her presence known, Marissa was almost certain that they had moved beyond 'best friends'. _Apparently not, _she thought. _No. Head up. Smile, you idiot._ Walking forward the last little bit, Marissa extended her hand out.

"Hi," she greeted Maggie.

"'Best friend?'" Maggie questioned as she shook Marissa's hand.

"Yup. That's me."

"Hmm. Well, it's nice to meet you."

"Actually, you two are related," Bianca interjected, completely oblivious to the tension that had sprouted between the two of them. "Marissa is Babe Carey's twin sister. David's daughter. Makes you guys cousins."

"Oh really?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah…I'm sitting on a branch on the family somewhere."

"Huh…well, anyways, I should get going. But um…Bianca? Can we talk?"

"N-now?"

"Y-yeah. I was hoping-"

"Well, I promised Marissa I'd spend the day with her-"

"No, Bianca if…" Marissa sighed. "If you wanna go, I'm not gonna stop you. I mean…it's your life."

"No. Marissa I'm staying with you." Bianca shifted her attention back to Maggie. "Maybe sometime this week?"

Maggie looked from Bianca to Marissa and sighed.

"Sure. Uh…is tomorrow night okay?"

"Sure," Bianca said.

"Okay," Maggie smiled. "I'll pick you up? Or do you wanna meet somewhere?"

"Uh, why don't I meet you somewhere?"

"Sure…I'll call you with the details tomorrow umm, do you have a number where I can reach you?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_Why is it always the same story with him? Why won't he change? …Okay maybe _change_ is something that might be a bit of a delusion, but acceptance? Is that too much to ask for? _There was a time when AJ thought he could go to his father for anything, whether it was for advice or something as simple as wanting to know how a word was spelled. _That was when I thought I knew him_.

"Hey, you okay over there?" Miranda asked, noticing that AJ hadn't said a single word since they left the penitentiary.

"Yeah…I guess. I'm just in my head."

"Quite the interesting day for us then."

"'Us?'" AJ asked as he took a quick glance at his sister.

"Do you mind if I use my 'favour' card to vent? I mean I know it seems insensitive because of what you just went through with your dad but-"

"Hey no! Of course vent away! I dragged you out here. What's up?"

"You remember Maggie Stone?"

"Mom's former best friend turned girlfriend who cheated on her with some French woman Maggie Stone? The Maggie Stone who Dr. Castillo wanted to bring back to town? That Maggie Stone?"

"You paint quite the picture. Yes, that's the one."

"What about her?"

"She decided to grace me with her presence at the Miranda Centre today."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

He started to laugh, which shocked Miranda. She raised her left hand and reached over the small bit of space between her and AJ and gave him a light swat on his right arm.

"H-holy shit! Hey! Why'd you slap me?"

"It's not funny!"

"Yes it is! Do you know how pissed I am that I wasn't there to see it?"

"See what?"

"See you hand her ass over to her."

"You didn't miss much."

"Really?" AJ asked, a little disappointed.

"Really…"

"_NO! You're _here_ because you're feeling guilty! You think that now she can't remember anything that happened __between the two of you and the bitch you cheated on her with,__ you__ can use this opportunity to get a second chance!"_

"_That is _not_ true!"_

"_Oh really? Then _why_ the _hell_ are you here? You could have easily said no to the 'assistant' assuming what you're saying is even true. You wouldn't be here after _all_ this time if you didn't think there was something in it for you!" Gabby shouted._

_Miranda didn't say a word for she was stunned. Gabby stared at Maggie in a way that had Maggie's face faltering within seconds. She felt fearless, betrayed, and protective. She didn't blink. She didn't move. She just stood there, glaring at the woman Miranda had once referred to as her mother. _

"_Clearly, it doesn't matter what I say to you. And you know what? It shouldn't. I don't have to explain myself to you."_

_Maggie moved to leave, headed for the door._

"_No. Only to our mother." Gabby said._

_Maggie turned her head at the sound of the younger Montgomery's voice. She shot a look of incredulity at the pair of them and walked out of the office._

"Damn! Gabby? Didn't think she had it in her."

Miranda chuckled.

"Really? With your mom as her go-to person when our own wasn't around, with Erica Kane as her grandmother and my own mother as her mom? Really?"

"I dunno. Gabby always seemed to be the quiet one." AJ reasoned.

"Yeah…like my mom. It's the quiet ones you gotta watch out for."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Are you okay?" Bianca asked. She had her hands clasped tightly in her lap, despising the silence that had fallen between her and Marissa ever since Maggie left them in the park. Bianca had given Maggie her new cell phone number with permission to call her tomorrow morning. After that, Marissa hadn't said a word to Bianca and it was beginning to make the brunette nervous. _Did I do something to upset her?_ She couldn't help but look over at Marissa who was concentrating hard on the road. The redhead was biting her lower lip and tapping her finger, nervously, on the steering wheel.

"I dunno." She simply said.

"Is something wrong? Did I do something to upset you?"

"_Is something wrong? Did I do something to upset you?"_ Marissa could hear her own voice echoing in her head and trying not to laugh was proving to be difficult for her. A small smirk formed on her face. "No, Bianca," she said softly. "Of course not. I'm just thinking…over thinking…"

"About?"

'_About?' _Marissa thought. _Where do I begin? What will happen to us if you and Maggie…oh God, I don't even wanna think about it. But she can't…she won't…right? I mean… She was gonna say yes…right? And that kiss! Oh God, that kiss! What I would give to just relive that again…and again, and again. I could stop the car right now and relive it. Control! …I __**could**__ just say that I'm thinking about Miranda and AJ's gifts, but I can't lie to her. Dammit! What do I do?_

"Marissa?"

"Heh? Oh. Sorry."

"If you don't wanna tell me, it's okay. I understand."

"No! That's not it…at all. I just…" Marissa hesitated. _Just say it. _"It's just…you didn't answer my question." She felt herself turn red from embarrassment. She looked at Bianca who was staring at the road ahead. Knowing that this wasn't a conversation they should have while she was driving. Sensing the palpable tension that had infiltrated the car, Marissa pulled into the closest parking lot. Once she put the car in park, Marissa turned her body to face Bianca and waited patiently.

"Your question?" Bianca asked, shifting her body as well.

"Yeah…y'know about me and you…" Marissa became courageous and took Bianca's hand in between the both of hers, gripping tightly enough to maintain a connection, but not secure enough to cut off her circulation. "…Going out…on a date?"

Bianca looked at the way her hand rested in Marissa's. _Perfectly…_ _No. Dammit. Why do I keep doing this? I was going to say yes, but then Maggie showed up. Is that a sign that I shouldn't say yes? Was that the universe stopping me from making a huge mistake?_

"Uhh…" Bianca muttered. "I don't…I don't-"

"It's okay… I get it. You're uncomfortable around me."

"N-no, that's not how it is. I just…I'm…"

"Confused? Scared?"

"Yeah…I know I shouldn't-"

"It's okay. You don't have to explain it. Look, don't…don't answer right now. Think about it." Marissa said softly as she ran the pad of her thumb across Bianca's knuckles. She noticed the intense stare that Bianca had begun to look at her with and felt the old familiar thumps of her heart begin to increase. "But you should know that even though you don't answer me right away, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop asking." Giving her a smirk and squeezing her hand gently, Marissa turned from Bianca to restart the car. "So? I think I've figured out what I'm gonna get Miranda and AJ."

Bianca could only stare at Marissa with a look of surprise. She didn't know what to say at the way Marissa acted, but she shook herself from trying to think about it.

"Seatbelt," Marissa simply said as she drove onto the highway.

"Can I ask you something?" Bianca asked.

"Shoot."

"Would you mind if I got AJ and Miranda something?" Bianca said as they pulled up to a red light.

Smiling, Marissa replied. "Why would I mind?"

"Okay…okay good. Thanks." Bianca smirked to herself, but suddenly frowned. She tried to hide it from Marissa, but the expression Bianca wore didn't get past the redhead.

"Uh…what's that look for? What's wrong?"

"Nothing gets by you, does it?"

"Mneh, not normally." Marissa reached over as her foot moved from the brake to the accelerator, patting Bianca's leg. "Tell me."

_I wish you wouldn't touch me so much… _"I dunno what to get them. I just realized that I don't know all that much about them. Crap, I'm terrible."

Marissa chuckled. "Well, they both _love_ music. Seriously, I think if you were to take that away from them, they'd die. Actually they both taught themselves to play instruments."

"Miranda plays?"

Marissa nodded. "Mmhmm…guitar. She taught herself when she was 11, right around the same time AJ taught himself. The only thing is, Miranda stopped playing when she was 15."

"Why?"

"Uh…her mom-"

"Oh! Right, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. Anyways, I tried to get her to open up, tried to get her to play again, but she wouldn't… Uh, AJ…he likes to write his own lyrics. Can't read music to save his life, but he has an ear and a way with words. Doesn't seem like it, but I can tell. Some of the songs he's written…they'd surprise you… Do you wanna know more?"

"Yes!"

Marissa smiled. _I could rave about __**our**__ kids all day baby…_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Me next! Me next!" Sofia shouted, waving around her homemade birthday card.

"Okay baby girl," Marissa said as she took Sofia into her arms and sat her down between AJ and Miranda. The family of 7 was seated in the family room handing out their gifts to the birthday twins. Thus far, Gabby and Nathan had given their gifts to them. Gabby had, somehow, managed to break free from classes earlier that week to purchase her gifts, presenting AJ with a sticker that she had designed and had printed for him for his keyboard: one with an inventive makeup of his name and the other of his band name. For Miranda, more DVDs to add to her classic film collection from the 1930s-1950s. Nathan had made each of them a card and drew a picture. AJ and Miranda had smiled and chuckled to each other over Nathan's artistic ability. He was showing off his stick figure versions of AJ and Miranda and wore a proud smile, which only made his older siblings all the more happy.

As Marissa sat Sofia between Miranda and AJ, the little redheaded 4 year-old fanned her arms out, handing her siblings their respective envelopes.

"Gabby helped me and so did Nafan…but it was _my_ idea."

AJ and Miranda looked at each other before prying their envelopes open. A homemade bracelet fell onto Miranda's lap as she looked down at the little girl beside her. She was giving Miranda a full-fledged and hopeful smile. AJ had a key-chain in his lap and raised it. On it were his initials with boxing gloves and he chuckled.

"Wow Sofia. Thanks! These are going on my car keys." He said and leaned down to kiss her head.

"Wanna help me put this on Fia?" Miranda asked. The youngster nodded her head animatedly before taking the bracelet and putting it on Miranda's wrist. "Thanks girly," she whispered and gave Sofia a tight squeeze.

"Okay! Mommy's turn!" Marissa yelled.

AJ and Miranda looked at each other and closed their eyes with a smile, shaking their heads.

"Okay, so, normally, I don't get you guys the same thing, _but_ seeing as how you two have stolen all of mine and AJ, you no longer live here, I figured that you two would find use for these." Standing, Marissa motioned for the two of them to follow her and they did, but not before they noticed the knowing smirk that had appeared on Bianca's face. They followed Marissa into the den and when they got there, their jaws dropped. There, before them, were authentic, vintage record players.

"Holy sh-"

"Language AJ!" Marissa exclaimed before he could continue speaking.

"What-where?" Miranda stuttered.

"Hey! That's my secret. Just enjoy it!"

"Thanks Ma!" They said before enveloping Marissa in an all-consuming hug. A little way behind them, Bianca stood in the hallway while Gabby, Sofia and Nathan remained in the family room chattering away. Watching Marissa, AJ and Miranda, Bianca felt a longing fall inside of her. She wanted that. She wanted to know what it felt like to have kids hug you that way, out of gratefulness, happiness, and most of all, love. Something told her that it was within reach, but she couldn't understand it.

Pulling out of the hug, Marissa noticed the way Bianca was watching them. She winked at her and noticed the blush that had crept onto Bianca's face. She turned away suddenly from Marissa's gaze and headed back to the other three in the family room before she embarrassed herself again. That's when she had remembered Marissa's question earlier that day. _I have to say no. _But knowing the way Marissa had kissed her, how much she had wanted Marissa to kiss her, how she wanted Marissa to kiss her again…_how can I say no?_

Marissa had returned to the family room and smiled at Bianca, never taking her eyes off of her. Bianca suddenly felt warm and quickly looked away before she stood up. Marissa watched after her as she left the room before turning to Gabby and asking her to watch Sofia and Nathan. She followed Bianca out of the room, subtly. Grabbing her gift for AJ, Bianca went to the den where Miranda and AJ were still ogling at their gifts. With her hands behind her back, she cleared her throat. The twins looked at her and smiled.

"Happy Birthday, you two." She said. "Uhh, Miranda, do you mind if I speak to AJ alone?"

"Sure." Miranda said as she took one last look at her gift and left AJ and Bianca alone, not before noticing that Marissa stood watching them from a distance.

"What's up Bianca?" He asked, smiling.

"I had a gift of my own to give you." She said, bringing her hands out from their spot, holding out a gift.

"Wow, thanks." He said. He unwrapped the gift and, in his hands, he held a red, leather-bound book with his initials embroidered in gold lettering. He opened it and noticed the empty pages.

"It's so you have something to write your songs in… Your mom said you write your own lyrics."

"This is awesome. Wow!"

"Really? It's not cheesy?"

AJ chuckled as he moved to hug Bianca.

"Oh no, it's _very_ cheesy, but lucky for you, I don't mind cheesy from time to time. This is just…damn. Saves me from having to scrounge for loose sheets and losing my stuff."

Marissa moved to the framework of the entrance and leaned against it as AJ made his way out of the den. Turning, Bianca noticed the way Marissa stared at her, smirking.

"I'd say you were dead on about that leather book Bianca."

"I tried." She said simply as she tried to walk past Marissa, but didn't get very far. The redhead had taken hold of Bianca's wrist, lightly. Their arms touched and Bianca recognized this to be dangerous territory…they were so close.

"And succeeded," Marissa whispered. She could see Bianca's eyes growing a darker shade of brown, converting to coffee black from their regular milk chocolate. Her breathing became slightly more laboured as her blood pounded in her ears. Bianca felt her palms begin to sweat as she noticed the look on Marissa's face become _very_ similar to the one from earlier that day. _Just like right before she-_

"MOMMY! CAKE!" Nathan screamed.

Bianca forced herself backwards. _**Why**__...__**how**__ does this always happen?_ Bianca thought.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Sitting at the counter, munching on her nightly dose of _Lucky Charms_ Miranda was caught off guard by a pair of hands covering her eyes.

"I could choke, y'know!"

Quickly, the hands were removed from her face as she turned and noticed Bianca looking at her.

"You've been avoiding me Mimo," Bianca said.

Miranda scrunched her eyebrows.

"No I haven't."

Bianca pulled up a chair beside Miranda and sat down.

"Sure you have. I'm here every night in the exact chair you're in and you don't come down anymore. And if you do it's _well_ after I'm gone. Usually we cross paths. What gives kiddo?"

"'Kiddo'?" Miranda chuckled.

"I'm trying something."

"Oh, okay. Well, I promise. I haven't been avoiding you. I just have _a lot_ on my mind lately." She said truthfully.

"Ahh. I see. Okay then can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." She said jamming another spoonful into her mouth.

"Okay well…Gabby's in high school, AJ's in college and you run the Miranda Centre?"

Miranda smiled knowingly.

"You wanna know why I'm not in school."

Bianca leaned her head to the side, sheepishly. She felt like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Yeah. I mean. I know it's not any of my business, but Marissa said I should ask you. She said she offered to pay for your schooling and you said no. Tammy said you're an heiress of some sort."

"'Tammy said,' oooh haha… Well, I _am_ an heiress of some sort, I guess. But I can't dip into that money until I'm 21. And I didn't want to burden Marissa so I said I'd work for it."

Bianca studied Miranda.

"It's more than that though, isn't it?"

"Nothing gets past you huh?" She quipped.

"Sorry, I guess I just know how to read you."

_You have __**no**__ idea,_ Miranda thought. She sighed and started at the pot of gold marshmallow in her bowl. "Well…to be honest?" She said as she looked up from her bowl to her mother. "I didn't know what I wanted. My mom had vanished, I was young, I didn't know what to do. Miranda Centre was the only thing I knew. Marissa didn't wanna push me and risk losing me too, at least that's what she said when we got into an argument about it last year. I never had to make these _massive_ decisions without my mom and she wasn't there." Miranda said, as the feeling of guilt settled within her, speaking to her mother about a past that she wasn't a part of.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that."

"I survived. I still don't know what I want, but I have the Centre and I think I'm good at that."

Bianca smiled and raised her hand and placed it on Miranda's face.

"I think you are."

Miranda smirked and sighed.

"Thanks."

Removing her hand, Bianca lifted her other one and placed a small box in front of Miranda.

"Happy Birthday Mimo." She said.

"What's this?"

"Open it," she said as she hopped off of the chair and stood over Miranda, who had, eagerly, grabbed the box and pried it open. In the box was a small, silver box with an engraving on the lid.

_Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you  
>Life has a funny way of helping you out<em>

Miranda smiled. "'_Ironic?_' How'd you know I love that song?"

Bianca shrugged. "Well, it came on in the mall today and I dunno, it made me think of you."

Miranda scoffed. "I sang this song in the school talent show when I was 11."

"Really?"

Miranda nodded. "It's been my favourite ever since."

Bianca smiled.

"Wow, thank you!" Miranda said as she threw her arms around Bianca's neck and kissed her cheek.

"Oh, don't thank me yet…"

"What do you mean?" Miranda said, pulling away from her mother.

"Open it…"

Miranda grabbed the silver box and opened it. In it, she noticed a purple guitar pick. Her face fell from curiosity to one that Bianca didn't recognize. She had never seen such a look on Miranda's face before. It was contemplative, but sad. Taking the pick from the box, Miranda brought it up to the light and noticed the word _Mimo_ embellished in it.

"Marissa said that you used to play, but stopped. Life sucks. It sneaks up on you and takes things away from you…I mean look at me; I'm living proof of that much… Unfortunately, so are you. This world ripped you of someone you love…but you shouldn't let it pry everything else along with it. Life sneaks up on you, it spits in your face, but it also has a funny way of helping you out."

Tears formed behind Miranda's eyes for the first time in three years. In all of her interactions with her mother, this one felt the most familiar. Neither of them had their guard up and this realization made Miranda smile…genuinely, largely, thoroughly, extensively. Before she knew it, Bianca the 19 year-old hugging her again.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome… I should thank you too."

"Uh…me? Why me?"

"I may still be in a basement somewhere if it weren't for you."

"And your mom…and my mom…Marissa."

"Right."

"Well. I'm gonna head to sleep. You're sticking around for tomorrow night, right?"

"Tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, the whole family's gonna be here. We keep tonight for just us, but tomorrow most of Pine Valley's gonna be here, knowing my mother."

Bianca frowned in confusion. _Why didn't Marissa tell me? She let me make those plans with Maggie… Why would she do that?_

"Uh…yes, of course. I'll be here."

"Okay. Good." Miranda smiled. "G'night."

"G'night sweetie."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa was cleaning up and all of her kids were in bed. Sofia and Nathan had requested Bianca to read to them tonight and she couldn't refuse them. She was washing the dishes when she heard the pattering of feet coming, quietly, down the stairs. There was a jolt of excitement being shocked into her when she thought about who it was. Those footsteps had made their way to the kitchen and stopped. Turning the water off, Marissa turned around and saw Bianca standing by the counter, eyeing her suspiciously. Reaching for the dishtowel, Marissa dried her hands before questioning Bianca.

"What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Uh…t-tell you? Tell you what?" Marissa asked, worried about what was going on in Bianca's head.

"About tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night?"

"Marissa, please? Don't play dumb with me. I'm already confused by everything. Miranda said tomorrow night people are coming for her and AJ's birthdays. And you let me make those plans with Maggie for tomorrow night."

Marissa sighed, defeated.

"Bianca…you're your own person. I saw the way you looked at Maggie…the way you seemed to light up," Marissa paused to gather herself, to prevent herself from breaking down. "You light up when you see her. You remember her…your friendship, what you two had, you're happy around her. Who am I to keep you from that? So…I didn't _tell_ you because I didn't want you to feel obligated to stay when there was the possibility that you'd rather be somewhere else with someone you can remember…" Marissa admitted.

Bianca sighed and shifted her position from the counter and went closer to Marissa. She stood directly in front of her and bit her bottom lip.

"Being here is _not_ an obligation. I _want_ to be here. All of you made me feel so safe and comfortable and wanted. And _you_ guys were here when I came back."

Marissa sighed and sneered at herself.

"Yeah, because we made it that way." Marissa said, scared to look at Bianca, knowing that what she would say next might put her in a different light in Bianca's view.

"What do you mean?" Bianca said as she took a step back. She looked at Marissa and she had a guilt-ridden expression written with terrified determination on her face. "Marissa? It's okay. You can tell me," Bianca said, taking her hand.

Sighing, Marissa spoke, holding onto Bianca's hand tightly.

"Umm…after you asked Griff about Maggie so many times…he asked Miranda if he could give Maggie a call and bring her back to Pine Valley. He uh…he thought that it would help you out with your memories. She said no, so he came to me. Told me to think about it and to let him know. I didn't know what to do… I just saw you and you were happy and didn't know if it was the best option." Bianca had raised her eyebrows in disbelief and she tried to pull her hand away from Marissa, but she only held on tighter. "No, wait, Bianca. I realized that it wasn't my decision to make-"

"You're damn right about that!"

"Which is why I was gonna talk to you about it!" Marissa was beginning to get desperate. Bianca had been pulling away, acting exactly as she feared she would. "I was going to tell you today, ask you what you wanted to do, but then everything happened. You started to remember me. That memory you had of us with the snowball fight? That has to be my favourite moment between us. We really became friends after that and I…I dunno, things just spiraled out of control after that."

Bianca was silent. She was staring at her feet, not knowing how to react. She tried to not be angry, but she couldn't help but feel robbed of a decision that was hers to begin with. Dr. Castillo should have gone directly to her. Why had he gone to Miranda and Marissa? It didn't make sense to her. Nothing had made sense to her. She needed some semblance of control, something that she recognized, something familiar.

"Bianca, please? Say something…"

"Y-you should have told me…"

"I know, I know I'm-"

"You should have said something to me _right_ away! You keep saying I'm my own person, why didn't you trust me with this?"

"Bianca, please-"

"Just tell me why?" Bianca said softly. She looked at the way Marissa held onto her hand. She watched and Marissa brought the both of their hands up to her chest plate, using them to drape over her heart. The back of Bianca's hand could feel the wild and rapid beating muscle.

"I…I was…afraid of losing you…all over again. You're one of the only people in my life who's ever meant anything to me… You mean so much…more than you will ever know or could imagine. It scares me how afraid I am that you're just gonna disappear again. I don't think I would be able to live through that again. I survived the first time, but if it were to happen a second time? I can't say that would happen again."

Bianca took a deep breath and pulled her hand out of Marissa's, who had let it go this time. She didn't say anything, but by the look in her eyes and the way her tears had begun to fall freely, Bianca had felt even more confused than she was to begin with. "So…jealousy…_that's_ what it all comes down to?"

Marissa didn't deny it, but she didn't know if that was the case or not.

"I don't know… All I do know is that, whatever you decide – to forgive me or not, to stay or go…" She lost her words momentarily. "You do what you want, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop being here for you."

o.o.O.O.o.o

What a day! Hope you enjoyed!


	14. Crazy

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Brot's POV**

It's amazing how much there is in the world. An ocean is home to another world that we could only imagine and visit at installments at a time. A single person can hold so much information in one little organ and, within it, come up with new ideas of their own. It's powerful. The brain is simple if you look at its most basic components – 4 lobes, series of connections that are able to recall pieces of information that could help you in the tightest of situations. Your emotions are wired in this sizeable, folded, grooved biological structure that has developed over time to maximize our chances for survival and yet, there is so much we still don't know about it. How is it that we are able to instill certain feelings that make our hearts beat wildly in our chests, causing us to get hot and bothered in the best way that translates to desire and passion simply by muttering a simple word or sentence?

It's crazy, isn't it?

I'll tell you what's crazy. The capacity for language we have as humans. One word…_one word_ can have _so_ many different meanings that can easily be cause for confusion. The one word can be taken in so many different ways, which can also cause problems in my line of work, particularly with interrogations. A simple phrase such as "they're crazy" can open up a plethora of interpretations. Have you any idea how many definitions there are for the word "crazy"?

**Crazy:** mentally deranged, extremely annoyed or angry, foolish, extremely enthusiastic, absurd appearance, full of flaws…

And these are just definitions! What about synonyms? Get out those thesauruses…

Shocked at the amount of words that are comparable to "crazy?"

Crazy isn't it?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

The kids were at school, Miranda was getting ready for another day at the Centre and where was Bianca? Getting ready to go with Miranda. Ever since Miranda and AJ's birthday, Bianca had been getting out of the large colonial-styled home more and more. She would see Maggie on a daily basis, often meeting her for lunch and just having fun talking. Bianca had grown closer and closer to Miranda, connecting with her on levels that she couldn't comprehend. For a 19 year-old, she felt that Miranda was extremely well rounded and sweet, especially when she considered the kinds of things she had been through in life. Bianca had nearly begged Miranda to bring her with her to the Centre. She had heard so many stories about the place and the good it had done for the community and the numerous amounts of women and children it had helped. Bianca would listen, eagerly, as Miranda relayed all of her ideas for expansion and felt that the young woman had a fantastic grip on the non-profit organization, especially seeing as how she had only been running it for about a year. In addition to all of this, Bianca had come to know Miranda on a more personal level, albeit a very limited one. This had upset Bianca to no end.

It was almost mid-April and Bianca had been to exactly two doctor's appointments with Griffin Castillo and a resident psychologist, both of whom had yet to give her the green light on being let in on the more intimate details of her life. Of the memories she had recalled, none of them were, what the doctors had classified them as, "jolting." They were worried that were she to remember something that, at the time of experience, she found to be heavy or upsetting, they were unable to predict how she would react. This scared her a little bit and she would often find herself wondering about the kinds of memories and experiences she had locked up in her brain. Since she had begun to spend more time with Maggie, she only had one more memory to add to her collection_._ Bianca, a couple of days ago, had remembered telling Maggie about Michael Cambias raping her. She recalled how she tried to avoid explaining to Maggie who came to her in her sleep, the fear she felt and conveyed about feeling victimized, the way Maggie kept pushing for information, even in the most caring of ways, and how Maggie refused to let Bianca out of her sight. How she constantly kept saying _"don't lock the door," _and the way Maggie was just trying to be there, reassuring her that she always would be, needing to know what happened. Bianca found herself shaking, remembering how she fell to her knees, afraid to say it all out loud, crying, trembling, describing it to her friend how Michael Cambias hurt her, how he was still there, everywhere she went.

Bianca counted herself lucky. Lucky that Maggie was back in her life because after remembering that, she couldn't see it any other way. Kendall and her mother had shot daggers at Maggie, with their eyes, when she explained that she was back in her life and, by the looks of it, there to stay. Within the last three weeks, she and Maggie had reconnected. To Bianca, it was familiar, it made her happy and even though she hadn't the slightest idea as to why her mother and her sister despised Maggie so much, for the moment, she didn't care and she didn't want to. She did all she could to explain to them that Maggie's presence was helping her feel sane, helping her feel safer. The two of them did everything within their power to convince Bianca otherwise about Maggie, but she wouldn't hear of it and it took a lot of strength to not be angry at the pair of them, remembering that there were things about her life that she had yet to discover.

Then there was Marissa… _Marissa._ Bianca didn't know what it was about the redhead that had, somehow, made her throw caution to the wind. When she was around her, there were things she couldn't ignore, things she couldn't stop, things she just couldn't comprehend and the need, the drive to be closer to her is what made Bianca want to stay as far away as she could from her, but found herself failing miserably on most days. She couldn't deny that the redhead was beautiful – the way her copper strands just flowed past her shoulders elegantly and how Marissa's hazel eyes would just grow when they stared at her, losing their magnificent colour, vanishing from existence when they focused on her. It was the two things that Bianca noticed the most about her. The creamy and smooth skin that burned her skin under her touch was just extra that still managed to drive Bianca into a state of covetous desire. She hated herself for feeling this way because she knew that it could never be.

"So unfair," Bianca whispered into the nothing around her.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_She said no… She said no…_

Marissa stood at the island, sipping her coffee out of the mug while the same three words replayed in her mind like a broken record. For the last three weeks, Marissa had all but gone on bended knee trying to get Bianca to agree to an evening alone with her. Watching the love of her life get closer and closer to another woman, one who Marissa didn't know if she should perceive as a threat or not. She was confused even more by Bianca's actions than Maggie's presence in Pine Valley. When she questioned Griff about the ordeal, he swore that he wasn't the one who called her, knowing full well that, if he had, he would've had his license revoked. After shaking the offended feeling, Griffin only offered explanations and reassurance. Ever since then, it had rattled Marissa's brain as to who called Maggie, increasing her ability to overanalyze things and decreasing her belief in anything that came out of Maggie's mouth. Either Maggie had lied from day 1 and had a different agenda all together or someone else had it in for Marissa and her family. Miranda had a few theories on what could have happened, one of which Marissa decided not to believe, but wasn't completely letting go of and the other which only terrified Marissa to death.

The first theory that Miranda proposed was that it was Tammy who had, somehow, tacked down and called Maggie.

"_It's not completely out there Ma," she had argued. "Tammy has a thing for you, I've noticed and she sees Mom back as a threat. Plus she's the only one you told about it."_

Miranda was right on some level. _But she's not attracted to me_ Marissa thought. The other theory was that it was someone associated with Bianca's kidnapping. It was definite possibility and it had made Marissa go down to the police station and tell Brot. But despite all of the madness and chaos that had come out of Maggie's return to Pine Valley, Marissa could recognize that Bianca was happier…even if it made her heart break multiple times a day. She kept going back to the night of Miranda and AJ's birthday.

"_You do what you want, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop being here for you." Marissa confessed._

_Bianca sighed, bringing her hands to her eyes and rubbing them._

"_I'm not… I can't take… I'm not gonna go, if you don't mind."_

_Marissa sighed in relief and attempted to move closer to Bianca, but the brunette took an equally large step back._

"_I'm sorry," Marissa whispered._

"_I keep forgetting that this can't be easy on you either. You have this image of me, of who I am in your head and you're acting out of what you think is best, and I get that…I do, but I don't know the kind of friendship we had. I mean I know a little. I have that snowball fight to remind me…and maybe…something else… I don't know-"_

"_Something else? What do you mean something else? Did you have another flash?"_

"_N-no…it was…it was a dream, but I didn't…it didn't hit me at the time and it kept coming back to me. It was the night after you calmed me down at the Safe House…about my mom being kidnapped and you stayed with me until I found out that Uncle Jack found her and-"_

"_She was alive and I offered to lock up her house? Yeah, that's a memory. See? You _do_ remember me, somewhat."_

"_Yes, but it's only somewhat Marissa. It's two memories and a f…" Bianca trailed off, not finishing her thought. A look of fear crossed her face at her near revelation, but Marissa wouldn't have Bianca stopping herself._

"_A what? 'Two memories and a' what?" Bianca shook her head, turning away from Marissa. "Bianca?" Marissa said softly as she moved closer to her, placing a gentle hand on the brunette's arm, willing her to turn around. "What is it?" Bianca remained silent. "Tell me…please?" Marissa whispered._

"…_Uh…a fee…feeling…" Bianca said and released the breath she was holding._

"'_A feeling'? What kind of feeling?"_

"_I don't know…"_

_Marissa could tell that Bianca was feeling out of her element and had grown exhausted after the eventful and lengthy day she had. Not wanting the press the matter any further, Marissa simply reached out for Bianca and pulled her into a tight and warm embrace, one of which she could feel Bianca had fallen immediately into. The way she felt her wife relax into her hug made a soft smile come to her face and she immediately closed her eyes, remembering this feeling, holding Bianca in her arms. "I'm sorry," she ended up saying to the brunette. Bianca pulled away._

"_It's okay I…I'm not upset. Frustrated, but not upset. I understand…"_

_Marissa smirked before her hand had traveled down the length of Bianca's arm and took her hand, giving it a little sway._

"_I still should have told you sooner…and the moment Griff gives you the green light, there will be __**nothing**__ stopping me from telling you everything and anything you wanna know… And you're wrong by the way."_

_Bianca furrowed her eyebrows._

"_I don't expect you to be anyone other than who you are. I told you already…you're you and that's it." She offered her a smile._

_Bianca sighed and said good night, but stopped midway to the hall._

"_By the way," she said, turning to Marissa who was paying attention. "The answer to your question? …N-no…"_

_**I won't give up**__ Marissa thought positively, even though she stood there frowning._

"Good morning Mamma Cita!"

Marissa jumped at the sound of Miranda's voice, who had a giggle added as she noticed Marissa's expression.

"Good God! Miranda don't do that to me!"

Still trying to control her laughter, she let out a bouncy "sorry" and sauntered over to the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup before turning to look at her mom.

"So, you and Bianca going to the Miranda Centre today?"

"Yup! She likes volunteering. I've only seen her smile like that a couple times in my life."

"Good…good she uh…she deserves to be smiling."

Miranda noticed the apprehensive and contemplative look on Marissa's face and called her out on it.

"What's wrong Ma?"

"Hmm?"

"You look all…nervous. What's going on?"

"Oh, don't worry I uh…just have something on my mind. Nothing you need to worry about."

"G'morning. You ready Miranda?" Bianca said as she walked into the kitchen, with a grin of excitement on her face.

"Y-yeah." Miranda said before leaning over and kissing Marissa's cheek. Walking past Bianca, she smiled and mentioned that she was in the car when she was ready.

Marissa smiled at Bianca and took a deep breath before handing her a travel mug full of coffee. Their fingers grazed each other and Bianca did what she did every time it happened: ignored the enthusiasm that her body seemed to stir up. The smug, yet adorable, smirk that Marissa wore on her face made Bianca's pulse race and the desire to get out of the house grew. As she moved to exit the kitchen, Marissa stopped her.

"W-wait, Bianca. Uh, what do you say you and I have an evening alone tonight…girls' night…just you and me."

Bianca laughed and shook her head.

"Answer's still no, Marissa"

_Dammit._ Marissa thought as she watched Bianca walk out of the door.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_Kendall! Life-saving Kendall!_ Marissa thought. She had just hung up with her sister-in-law moments ago, asking if it would be okay if she stopped by the house to talk about Bianca. It had been a little over two months since Bianca had come home and Marissa felt worse than ever. She had a lot of hope after their snowball fight, but since Maggie had come back to Pine Valley, she felt like she was failing fast. Bianca spent more and more time with Maggie and less time in their house and with her and their kids, save for Miranda. She didn't know what to do. Her efforts to get Bianca to spend some time with her had proven to be inadequate because no matter how she worded it, or any gestures she did, Bianca's answer always remained the same: no. _Why does she keep saying 'no'?_ Marissa slipped out of her thoughts when she heard the doorbell ringing. Assuming it was Kendall, she headed to the front door and opened it where Maggie Stone greeted her.

"What are you doing here?" Marissa asked emotionless.

"I'm here to see Bianca."

"She's not here..." Maggie had given her a look that accused her of being pathetic. "I'm serious. She's spending the day with Miranda." Marissa said, evenly.

"Oh... Well, let her know I stopped by okay?"

"Okay... Uh, how are things going with you two?" Marissa asked politely. She couldn't help her curiosity. It needed to be fed before it consumed her.

"Not that it's any of your business, but they're really great." Maggie flashed an annoying grin.

"It involves my wife. It _is_ my business." Marissa reasoned.

"'Your wife?'" Maggie scoffed. "She doesn't even know she's your wife."

"Not by my choice." Marissa's patience was wearing thin. She felt as if her worst nightmare was confirmed, that Maggie had returned to Pine Valley looking for more than just a way to help Bianca remember.

"Oh c'mon! Come off it. Don't hide behind that excuse. You could have told her who you were and then maybe things might be going your way."

"'My way'? Seriously? And I'm not hiding behind anything."

"Oh really? Then how come she's still under the impression that you two are just friends?"

"So, you've told her that you two dated and you cheated on her with a random slut then?" Marissa was met with silence. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Don't come around here judging me and claiming to be better for Bianca."

"I never made that claim. Your words not mine. Besides, the connection Bianca and I have is-"

"_Nothing_ compared to the one that she and I share. You may have a history with her, but you forget that you haven't been around. So here's something you may have missed. She and I have a history too and as long as these rings are still on my finger and as long as she tells me to, you better believe that I'm not giving up on her. She's my wife and I love her with everything I am! There is _no one_ like her and you're crazy if you think, even for a second, that I wouldn't fight for her. You had your chance and you blew it, well guess what? That's _not_ me!"

Maggie did all, but rolled her eyes.

"I believe that you believe all of that, but did it ever occur to you that _maybe_ I might be the better woman for Bianca?" Maggie asked.

"Not likely," a voice said behind Maggie. "You got a lot of nerve coming back here, ambushing Marissa like this."

"She's not ambushing me Kendall. And to answer your question, it terrifies me that you could be the better woman for Bianca and I _have_ considered it, but _you_ my dear cousin have to realize that there's the _very very huge_ possibility that your efforts are being wasted."

Maggie sighed before looking from Marissa to Kendall and back to Marissa, silence coming over everyone.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"That bitch! She's got a set on her! I still wanna know what the hell she's doing here! By the looks of it, she causing havoc for you and my sister."

Marissa sighed.

"I think I handled her okay."

"_That_ you most certainly did. I always knew I was right about you."

"Thanks," Marissa said, offering Kendall a small smile.

"So!" Kendall said, wanting to change the subject. "You wanna tell me now why I'm here or did you somehow know Maggie would show up and thought you'd need backup?"

Marissa chuckled. "No. No I had a purpose. I need your advice on something…"

"Something being my baby sister?" Kendall questioned.

"Yes!" Kendall raised her eyebrows as if allowing Marissa to begin. "Okay uh… Before Maggie came back to town, Bianca and I we were…oh God, we were _so_ close! She trusted me, came to me for everything. We laughed and joked and we danced around the kitchen to that CD that Miranda, Sofia and Nate love to dance to. She remembered our snowball fight and then, oh, then we… I kissed her and she kissed me back and I really thought we were going to be okay. And I started to ask her out on a date and I could've sworn that she was gonna say yes. But then…then Maggie showed up and she did this complete 180. Next thing I know I hardly see her at all around the house because she isn't there. She's not coming to me for anything, no, she's calling Maggie. And then when we're alone together? Ohoho…it's like nothing's changed. The tension it's…" Marissa sighed. "It's torture, but so good and I can feel her wanting to reach out for me, but she keeps stopping herself and-" Marissa stopped talking when she noticed Kendall's expression: a mixture of empathy, with the smallest hint of disgust. "Sorry, I'm talking about your sister. This has gotta be weird for you."

Kendall chuckled.

"Only a little, but you still haven't asked me your question and I dunno if I should be scared or not."

Marissa gave a small laugh and sighed in frustration.

"I keep asking her out, but she keeps saying no and I dunno why! I'm trying to be patient and understanding, but I can't keep watching while her and Maggie get closer and I'm stuck here on the sidelines. …And I can't help wondering if I'm being…fazed out. I feel like she's going to leave me Kendall."

"Well, Red I don't know what to tell you except I have a theory on the why she keeps saying no to you."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, it's because you're still wearing your engagement and wedding rings," Kendall smirked knowingly and she watched Marissa's face fall.

"I would never take these off."

"I know that, but I'm assuming she has _no_ idea that you two are married or were even involved and my sister's a firm believer of being faithful to someone and from the looks of it, it looks like you're still committed to your wife. Binx won't mess around with that. As for the uh…the date, ever think that _maybe_ you should uh…kidnap her for the night?"

"'Kidnap her'?"

"Yup! Tell Miranda to babysit and take her somewhere."

Marissa thought about it and shrugged.

"I know, I'm _that_ good. Now, to uh…get my sister to relax? _Don't_ tell me what it is, just remember what used to…work and try that out… See how that works out for ya… I mean, what d'you have to lose, right?"

Marissa remained contemplative, but that didn't stop the small smile from forming on her face as her thoughts took over.

"Thanks Kendall."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca sat on her bed. Looking at the clock she noted the time.

8:00.

_Where's Maggie? She was supposed to be here an hour ago._ No sooner had Bianca finished her thought, was there a knock coming from her door. Getting up, she answered it and saw Marissa leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey you," she said with a smile.

"Hi back."

"Watcha up to?"

"Nothing really…just waiting on Maggie. She was supposed to come get me an hour ago."

Marissa noticed the look of disappointment on Bianca's face before speaking.

"She just called… She won't be able to make it tonight."

"Oh…okay," Bianca replied.

Marissa watched every look that passed Bianca's face within the next couple of seconds. It had gone from hopeful, to disappointed to nervous within the span of a few moments.

"Grab a sweater and meet me outside," Marissa said before she turned around and headed up the stairs.

"Wait, what?"

Marissa smiled.

"You heard me Montgomery."

"I know, but why?"

"'Cause it's the middle of April and even though it was warm today, when night comes, it can get a little cool."

At that Marissa continued up the stairs and Bianca could do nothing but watch. A part of her was very intrigued and wanted to follow the redhead's orders, but another part of her wanted to forget it.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Her intrigue won.

Bianca sat on the passenger's side of Marissa's car keeping warm in the large, comfortable sweater she found in her closet. She was trying to keep her focus ahead and not look at Marissa who was driving with a smile etched onto her face. Bianca also wanted to avoid looking at Marissa because she could feel Marissa's eyes burning her cheek every once in a while. Not to mention that every time Bianca was tempted to sneak a peek at the redhead, which she had exactly three times, Marissa would catch her and end up in a small fit of laughter.

"So, where are we going?" Bianca asked.

"You'll see…"

"Okay…uh…_why_ are we going?"

Marissa smirked and looked at Bianca, shaking her head, letting her know that she wasn't saying anything. Soon enough, however, Bianca recognized the roads and had come to the assumption that they were headed to the park. _Why is it always the park?_ She wondered.

The two of them parked just outside of the entrance. Something Bianca had always loved about the park in Pine Valley was its open entrance. It was here that she and Marissa had had their snowball fight a few weeks ago and it was here that they had shared a kiss…one that Bianca felt her toes curl at just thinking about. Of any of the relationships that she _could_ remember, none of them…not a single one held a kiss that compared to that one. She stood there, remembering the way Marissa held her, pulled her, moaned as she kissed her.

"Hey," Marissa said as she placed a hand on Bianca's shoulder. "Ready?"

Bianca nodded and the pair of them started walking. They passed the playground and a number of benches. Bianca was finding that the gap between her and Marissa was closing more and more and, soon enough, they were shoulder-to-shoulder…_upper arm_ Bianca thought as she noted the redhead's height. They were entering another area of the park, surrounded by trees on all sides when Bianca stopped. Turning, Marissa shot her a questioning glance.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Is this the part where you bring me into the creepy forest, kill and then bury my body?"

"Damn! Y'got me!" She said as she chuckled. "C'mon!" Marissa said, holding her hand out to Bianca. Staring at her outstretched arm, Bianca walked forward and took her hand, once again trying to ignore the fiery blaze that had stirred in her stomach. They walked, just kept walking. Marissa knew it would be a while before they got to their destination and decided to just start talking and let things roll from there.

"So…how are you liking the Miranda Centre?"

"I'm loving it! I'm helping Miranda out a lot. She really is an amazing girl…woman. She handles those donors so well and people really like her. She even helps out these people directly. It's incredible."

"I'm glad you get to see that side of her. She's happy when you're around."

"She's happy when you're around too. She loves you and she should. You've done an amazing job with your kids."

"I can't take _all_ the credit."

"You're right, but how many people would have continued to take care of Miranda and Gabby like you have?"

"Well, I love them and I have a responsibility to them. I couldn't let them go even if I wanted to."

Marissa smiled at Bianca who returned the smile.

"How are things at the office? Any new whacky clients?"

Marissa chuckled. Bianca simply stared at her.

"Always. Oh, we're here!" Marissa said stopping. Bianca stopped and looked away from Marissa. The sight made her jaw drop. It was the end of twilight and the little bit of light that the sky held onto still managed to reflect partially on the calm riverbank through the relatively naked branches of the trees. The two of them were standing behind the bench overlooking the water with the forest green painted, wooden bridge clearly within view. Marissa dropped her purse on the bench and looked at Bianca, who was still taking in the scenery. "Don't remember this place?"

"I didn't even realize this was all here."

"Not many do… I think that's why I love it here." _And then some…_

Bianca looked around and saw the tree to her left.

"Huh…that's so nice."

"What?"

Bianca pointed to the bark.

"A couple carved their initials in this tree," Bianca said, thinking nothing of the BM + MT embroidered within the circumference of a carved heart. Marissa had placed a hand in front of her mouth to hide the smile that she clearly had on her lips as her elbow rested on the back of the bench from her seated position on it.

"That's cute," she said finally and patted the spot beside her as Bianca made her way over to her. Sitting, Bianca noticed as Marissa held a flat container and two forks.

"What's that?" Bianca asked as Marissa opened the lid. She recognized the well-sized brown square in the Tupperware. "Chocolate cake?"

"Would I bring anything else?" Marissa asked.

"I suppose not."

Marissa handed her a fork and, before she knew it, they had dug into the delectable dessert, engaging in conversation once again. Marissa felt herself beginning to relax and there was an ease between her and Bianca that she had thought was slowly disappearing. They hadn't lost anything. Everything was still there and Marissa saw the fire of hope being ignited once again. She had Bianca in a fit of laughter, somehow. The brunette had tears rolling down her cheeks from her eyes because of Marissa's quirky comments and jokes, but currently from the story about Kendall and Greenlee from a few months ago.

"They did not!"

"I swear it! Your sister and Greenlee together drunk are too funny! Only they would make an attempt to talk their way out of a DUI while slurring. Poor Brot didn't stand a chance."

"Wow! Remind me to torture her about that."

"Noted." Marissa said smiling. "How are you doing though?"

"You mean have I remembered anything else? …Nope. Nothing." Bianca said looking across the stream.

_Get her to relax_, Marissa thought. She took a deep breath and sighed before removing her purse from her lap and placing it beside her. She stood up and walked to the edge of the creek before turning around and looking at Bianca. Marissa watched as Bianca's gaze went upwards to the stars. She never took her eyes off of the brunette and, eventually Bianca noticed.

"What?" She asked, noticing Marissa simply staring at her.

Marissa extended her arm out and placed her hand palm up.

"You wanna dance with me?" She asked.

Bianca turned a bright shade of red, trying to keep her composure, but felt it slipping from her. She couldn't help it. She started to laugh. Marissa's face remained as it was, completely unfazed by Bianca's reaction. She was standing her ground, doing her best to make this an even better night than Bianca thought she'd be spending.

Once Bianca stopped laughing, she noticed that Marissa had remained straight-faced.

"You're serious?"

Marissa simply nodded. It was only when Bianca stood up and walked over to Marissa that the redhead changed her facial expression, going from one of nothing to complete and utter happiness.

"But there's no music," Bianca argued just before reach Marissa and grabbed her hand.

Marissa pulled Bianca towards her and into a close caress. She guided Bianca's hand to clutch her hip as she threw her arms around her wife's neck, pulling her head downwards so she had better access to her ear. As her lips parted, Bianca felt Marissa's hot breath on her lobe, causing her to wrap her arms more securely around Marissa's waist as the redhead breathed softly into her ear. "I think I know a tune you'll like…" Bianca stood still and within seconds, Marissa had begun to hum something soft and sweet and the two of them began to shuffle their feet, dancing to Marissa's humming. And before long, her voice had manifested itself into a warm utterance.

"_You by the light is the greatest find. In a world full of wrong, you're the thing that's right. Finally made it through the lonely to the other side. And this could be good, it's already better than last and nothing's worse than knowing you're holding back. I could be all that you're needing if you let me try. You set it again, my heart's in motion, every word feels like a shooting star, I'm at the edge of my emotions, watching the shadows burning in the dark. And I'm in love and I'm terrified for the first time in the last time in my only life…_"

Bianca felt herself shiver at the serenity and raw emotion coming from the melody of Marissa's voice. She listened to every word, what they meant and felt every unspoken meaning behind it. Marissa hadn't moved her mouth from that spot by Bianca's ear and it was beginning to prove to be problematic for the brunette. With every note that Marissa sang and every second that passed, Bianca found herself falling deeper and deeper into that one place that she was all too familiar with, the dangerous territory that seemed to pop up when she was around Marissa. That invisible line that she so ardently wanted to cross, but knew she shouldn't because of what it would mean and what she would lose from herself because of it. Every alarm in her head was going off, she could see every sign so clearly.

Things weren't getting any easier for her as Marissa had pulled away and finally looked at her face. Bianca continued to listen as she sang, but her defenses were going down, fading fast. The emotions within her were getting stronger and she was certain that she had been staring at Marissa longer than she ever had. Marissa's words were becoming strained and she was coming closer. _This is crazy…_

"No," Bianca murmured.

She gazed intently into Marissa's eyes, which weren't budging on their position. They seemed to ask her why? _Why not?_ She leaned forward, stopping millimeters away from Bianca's lips. Their noses grazed for an instant before Bianca felt weaker, she wasn't strong enough to say no. Marissa stepped closer to Bianca if it was at all possible, but didn't move. This would have to be Bianca's move…

And she did.

Bianca leaned her head downward, everything in her yelling for her to stop, but she didn't listen. The moment her lips touched Marissa's, Bianca found her hands had immediately found their way to those red locks she remembered from her dreams and the gentle caress of Marissa's lips moving against hers soon wasn't enough. Bianca felt her desire escalade and translate into a deep, colossal, craving…one that needed to be satiated. Marissa had tightened her arms around Bianca's neck, pulling her further towards her, opening her mouth, sucking on Bianca's bottom lip. The action had Bianca lowering the both of them to the soft grass below, placing Marissa on her back. Hovering her body above the redhead, Bianca nibbled at Marissa's upper lip before trading it for the other one. She nipped at it lightly and let her hand wander under Marissa's sweater, finding the warm skin she ached to touch. As she ran her hand upwards, tenderly stroking Marissa's ribcage, she could see a scene behind her eyelids.

"_Maybe it was even before that when we went away with the kids…and you told me how you felt… Or…maybe even when we were locked in that closet…and we had to depend on each other in order to survive…I knew something was going on even then I…just couldn't accept… I'm talking too much, aren't I?"_

o.o.O.O.o.o

Too much for one chapter?

I hope this holds you over until next week because that's when I'll next be able to update. One last test on Thursday! YIKES!

Hope you enjoyed!


	15. Assumptions

o.o.O.O.o.o

**J.R's POV**

Life isn't fair. That I know. However, life is what you make of it and while I'm not usually a man of few words, in this case, I'm gonna keep this short because I have better things to think about. This is kind of a waste of my time. What can I say? Let's see…my son hates me, this town turned against me, my ex-wife left me for another and, yes, I tried to kill Pine Valley's very own princess, Bianca Montgomery, because of it… I actually didn't _mean_ to try to kill her…just _hurt_ her enough to scare her off. I assumed she'd back off or at least Marissa would. You know that whole "gotta leave you to protect you even though I love you oh so much and I couldn't bear it if something were to happen to you" type of crap? Yeah, I figured at least _one_ of them would be smart enough to back off. Quite the assumption I made isn't it?

Assumptions, suppositions, speculation, conclusions, deductions… Dangerous words. When you assume things you open yourself up to endless possibilities. I mean take a look at me. I thought that my son would choose me over Marissa and Bianca. That didn't happen. I assumed that me shooting Binky would pull Marissa away from her…they only got closer and me? I ended up in a fresh circle of hell.

My point?

Don't assume anything!

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Babysitting.

One of Miranda's favourite pastimes and she meant that. She was happy to give her mothers the time together that she knew they needed and had every confidence in Marissa that it wouldn't be a wasted effort on her part. Miranda hadn't been told the plans of the evening, only that she was needed to look after the house and her two younger siblings. Yes, she most certainly did not mind.

That evening had been eventful for the three of them.

Nathan had been as he always was. He ate his dinner, not complaining about the dish of the evening. He adored chicken parmiggiana and salad. He gulped it up, but it did take him a while. Miranda couldn't help but laugh at him as he had spoken in vast detail about his day. It was too difficult not respond in a way that had Miranda paying so much attention to him.

"_Then_ my teacher told me to write the date on the board! It was my first time. And we learned a new song. D'ya think AJ will play it for me on the piano? Will he teach me?"

"Uh…I think he might if you ask him nicely."

"Okay! Next time he comes over I'm going to ask him!"

"Are you gonna sing me the song Nate?" Miranda asked.

"Nope! Not yet! It's a surprise for the spring concert."

Miranda raised an eyebrow.

"You guys have a spring concert?"

"Yup!" Sofia voiced. "It's called 'It's a Spring Fing.'"

"Really? Okay, okay. So which song are you guys singing?"

"Weren't you listening Miranda?" Nathan asked. Miranda knew she had said something to upset her little brother because he had called her by her real name. "It's a surprise! We can't tell you. _And_ I need to talk to Mommy. We hafta bring a family pitchure."

Miranda nodded.

"Yeah, I can see why you'd need to talk to Mommy. Okay, well you can ask her tomorrow. Right now, she's still at work. She went to work late today and then got sucked into a meeting, but when she gets home, she won't have time to talk because she and Momma Binx are going out, which means you guys are stuck with me for the night. _So_, I was thinking that you guys might wanna make cupcakes? Then watch a movie?"

The looks on the two kids' faces were priceless. They flashed their excited billion dollar smiles and cheered with excitement. Miranda had tried to calm them down and finish their dinner, but it was proving to be very difficult.

"Hey! C'mon you two! If you don't finish eating, no cupcakes and you're gonna go to sleep right away!"

The twins became quiet, settling back into their respective chairs and continued to eat their food.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Files.

More files.

Lots and lots of files.

Brot sat in his chair, still wondering about the pieces of an unfinished puzzle that he had managed to find himself in. He sat there with loose-leaf sheets everywhere – memos, photographs of the evidence, photographs of the scenes that Meyers had privy him to, and statements. His eyes were beginning to cross and his mid was starting to shut down. He had consumed copious amounts of coffee within the last couple of months trying to solve this case, but only kept hitting a wall. The same massive wall would greet him every time/ He felt like the world was playing a cruel and evil trick on him. Every time he thought he had a lead, it would prove to be pointless. For example, a week ago he had watched a video of Marissa be questioned by the head officer of Bianca's case the first time around.

"_And you can't think of anyone who would wanna kidnap your wife Mrs. Tasker? You ladies haven't received any threats? Letters, phone calls, anything?"_

"_I swear to you Officer Collins, nothing! I would've known. Bianca tells me everything. She hates when people lie to her so I am absolutely positive I would know if something were off."_

"_Okay, okay," Collins reasoned. "How about threats from the past? I mean you and Mrs. Montgomery have been together, what? Seven years now? Married for five of them. Has anything happened within the last seven years that might set someone off?"_

_Marissa's face dropped._

"_Uh…well…my ex-husband. He uh…threatened my wife and our family at his hearing right before he was given a 15 year sentence for attempted murder…"_

"_Okay, that's something. What __**exactly**__ did he say?"_

_Marissa hesitated for a moment._

"_That he wouldn't stop… That bars wouldn't stop him. He said he was a very influential and powerful man…that he had people willing to work for him to get to us and by 'us' I mean Bianca, her girls and myself…"_

That was enough to convince Brot to pay J.R Chandler a visit. Truth be told, Brot hadn't the slightest idea what he was looking for. Maybe a tell or a slip of the tongue would have J.R giving away his deepest secrets or something that would get him closer to cracking Bianca's case. This was very difficult for him and he just wanted it to be over. This hadn't been this bad for him in a while. Usually, he'd have these solved within a month or so – he was a very persistent Chief of Police, but whoever was behind this was very clever and stealth, leaving nothing for him to work with…except Dylan Meyers who had proved to be less than useful. He had hoped his meeting with J.R would help him in the smallest amount.

It didn't.

"_Well, well, if it isn't the Chief of Police himself," J.R said as he sat down with Brot. "To what do I owe such an honour?"_

"_Can it J.R. I do the talk, you simply answer my questions, understand?"_

_J.R smirked. "Wha-what what? No 'hello Mr. Chandler, looking good'?"_

"_You expect me to tell you that you look good? What did they run our of razors for you here? You're starting to look like a cave man."_

"_I might as well be. What do you want Chief?" J.R spat._

"_I want answers. Clear answers. No riddles. I wanna get through this as painless as possible."_

"_Fine…ask away…"_

"_What do you know about the day Bianca Montgomery disappeared?"_

_J.R started to chuckle and managed to run a hand through his unruly hair, despite the fact that he was cuffed._

"_Absolutely nothing."_

"_Really? So, on the day you were sentenced, you didn't snap at your ex-wife, saying that you were powerful and that you would hire someone to get to her or Bianca and her daughters?"_

"_Imma stop you __**right**__ there Chief before you make any more of a fool outta yourself. Now pay attention because this is some serious __**insider**__ shit. This place is locked up niiiice and tight. They keep track of everything: my phone calls, mail I send out, mail that comes in to me, people who visit me, every little thing I say and do on a regular basis is documented. Hell, I can't even go to the bathroom without them looking at me. __**If**__ you were a smart cop, which obviously you aren't, judging by the fact that you're here, just like your pal Collins was a few years ago, you'd know that within the past ten years I've had exactly three, now four visitors, haven't made any phone calls or sent out any requests or letters or e-mails or whatever. Collins visited me three years ago, my son has visited me all of two times, one of which he brought Miranda along and now you. __**So**__, Chief, don't make any assumptions about me. I have a parole hearing in just less than four months and I've been a good little boy in here. I've done nothing wrong and won't again, not after being in here."_

Brot sighed. What was he missing?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Fia! C'mere! You've got chocolate all over your face!" Miranda said, laughing. She had chased her brother and sister all over the house, trying to clean the cupcake batter off of their faces. It had smeared all over their chins, cheeks and part of their noses from licking the uncooked batter off of throngs of the electric mixer they had used to make their cupcakes. After putting the cupcakes into the oven, Miranda set the timer and moved them upstairs to give them a bath and get them ready for bed so they could enjoy their homemade snacks. After that, it was nearing 9:30 and Miranda had put both of them to sleep, singing their favourite lullaby. Only _Forevermore_ would do.

Miranda skipped down the stairs and noticed that the kitchen lights were on. _Huh_, she thought. _I coulda sworn I turned those off_. She moved closer and closer, but then she heard the shuffling of feet and drawers being opened and closed. When she heard the refrigerator door open, a voice accompanied it.

"Yes, this is Tamara Hendersen. I'm calling about a hospital bill for...my mother. It's from about six months ago. I was told this was all settled, so why am I being re-billed?" She was silent for a bit. "This is ridiculous and quite steep for a couple bruised ribs and a broken fibula."

Miranda walked quietly toward the kitchen, placing her back against the wall just outside of its entrance, listening to Tammy yelling at whoever was on the receiving end.

"Yes, I'm WELL aware that scans and tests cost money, but you don't understand what I'm saying. I was told this was all taken care of. Covered by the insurance!"

Miranda's breathing soon became laboured and her heart rate increased. Her mind was asking questions, but she couldn't say that Tammy's actions had surprised her. Miranda never trusted the woman. She had been a client of Marissa's and had never seemed to leave the redhead alone. She had called the house numerous times during her divorce with her husband, whoever he was, crying. When everything was finally settled, Tammy still wouldn't leave them alone. It annoyed Miranda to no end and forced the young lady to not trust a word that had come out of Tammy's mouth. The only reason why she tolerated the blonde was because, despite her gut feeling, she saw that Marissa had become friends with her.

"Well, I can be there to sort this crap out tomorrow night! My assistant is nowhere to be found these days. You can't find good help anywhere! But I only have tomorrow night because then I'm on a flight out to Europe…Madrid, actually. I'm covering a show there so we better come to an agreement before tomorrow night. Goodbye!" She hung up the phone. "Bunch of bullshit."

_What the hell?_ Miranda thought as she moved away from the wall and, silently, headed back up the stairs to her bedroom.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

There were moments in her life that Marissa was sure she could classify as the more significant ones. Right now, having Bianca so close to her, hesitantly deciding on whether or not she should move those extra few millimeters and simply close the gap between them, giving into what they both so desperately desired, was definitely one of them. The sweater she wore wasn't needed, she felt. The heat between her and Bianca had increased remarkably to a standard that was new for both of them – Bianca on a level that she was certain was due to her inability to remember what they were, what they meant to each other, and Marissa on a level that could be transcribed to something similar to Bianca's; that she wanted to know how it felt to be with her wife, wanted to remember what it was like. Memories were amazing, but they could only do so much for a woman in love. And when Bianca had finally given in, Marissa could focus on nothing but her intuition and impulse.

The feel of Bianca's lips colliding with hers had nearly knocked her off her feet. She was near smiling, but her lips had other ideas. What started out a simple, delicate graze, soon turned into a frantic frenzy, which Marissa wouldn't complain about. She felt flustered, on fire, tense in the best way. The ardent need to be closer to the brunette was taking over her, forcing her to use her physical strength to bring them closer together. She wrapped her arms even more tightly around Bianca's neck, pulling her forward, which only ended up with them descending to the cool grass below them. As Bianca lay Marissa down on her back, the redhead smiled, gnawing on Bianca's lower lip lightly before she felt her wife shift upwards, capturing her upper lip. As she felt Bianca's hand wander under sweater, taking a gentle hold on the side of her body, Marissa, cleverly, snuck her tongue past the barrier of Bianca's mouth, causing the brunette to moan intensely. At the sound of it, Marissa felt herself losing control, but knew she couldn't and a memory flashed before her eyes, trying to calm down.

_Marissa had been sitting on the deck of their house in the still of the night simply looking up at the stars above her head, twinkling like little beams of hope – or so she felt. It was the night before her wedding to Bianca and she was giddy and couldn't be happier…she also couldn't have felt more out of place. Bianca was staying at Kendall's for the night and the kids were staying with Erica and Jackson, which left Marissa alone in their big house…well, not entirely alone. Krystal had been keeping her company._

_**Not really. She's actually keeping an eye on me, making sure that I don't sneak out of the house to go see Bianca.**_

_For the first time in their history, Krystal and Erica had been in agreement with one another. Bianca and Marissa had wanted nothing more than to spend their last night before their wedding together, but Erica and Krystal had other ideas; saying that it was bad luck to see each other before the wedding. Not to mention, it would be more romantic and cause for a better wedding night. Marissa chuckled at the thought. She was certain that they wouldn't need a 'better wedding night.'_

"_Marissa!" _

_Marissa looked at her surroundings, wondering if she were actually going insane, hearing voices._

"_Babe?"_

_The voice whispered again. She knew that voice. She would recognize it anywhere._

"_Bianca?" She whispered._

"_Down here." _

_Marissa stood from her spot and looked over the banister of the wooden deck, and saw as her fiancé, soon-to-be wife, stood at the bottom of the steps, smiling up at her._

"_Hey you," Bianca said. "Come down here."_

_Marissa laughed. _

"_Krystal is staying down there and she's most likely down there right now. So, if I go down there, chances are we're gonna get caught… You come up here." Marissa said with a smile._

_Bianca didn't hesitate. She removed her shoes, knowing the amount of noise they would make when she made her way up the stairs. As soon as they were removed, she charged the steps and managed to get to the top in less than two seconds. The moment she had climbed the last step, Bianca ran to Marissa, devouring her mouth in a searing kiss._

This wasn't helping her.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Chief! Chief!"

Brot looked up from his papers at his deputy officer, Mike Morris. He had a smile on his face and held up a manila folder and pointed to it.

"What's that?" Brot questioned, clearly exhausted.

"A crack in the wall!"

Brot extended his hand and was handed the folder immediately. He opened it and looked over the sheets.

"What is this?"

"Results from the lab. They looked over the evidence…well, what we had. They took a look at a close look at Ms. Montgomery's locket; you know the one that Miranda brought it? Turn out that there were some fibers and look at this," he said handing the sheet to Brot. "These fibers they found? They come from a _very_ expensive pair of brown gloves – ones that aren't imported into the States. You can only get them in one place in the world. Paris. One of the fashion capitals of the world. Now, here's the crazy bit. These gloves, I found out that they were designed by some no name designer and they're rare for that reason. They're also expensive and people could have only got them at this fashion hoopla during Fashion week."

"And how does this help us? There are _millions_ of people who attend that thing."

"There were only ten pairs of these gloves sold. We get that list, we're one step closer to closing this case up."

"Great." Brot said with a smile. "Let's get those names, shall we? And uh, what else d'you got for me?"

"This," Mike said, placing another sheet in front of Brot. "As you know, the necklace was broken due to some sort force pulling at it. Look at what the labs found."

Brot examined the sheets, going over the formulas from the lab, the reports and found something he had been looking for.

"You see it?"

"Yeah," Brot smiled.

"The amount of force it took to break the necklace…too much for man…which means-"

"We're not looking for a man… We're looking for a woman."

o.o.O.O.o.o

DUM DUM DUUUUUUM!

Please review. I had fun writing this chapter :P Hope you enjoyed it!


	16. Revelations

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Tammy's POV**

I've heard that when all else falls, truth remains standing. But here's my question, why should things have to fall for the truth to be seen? Let's be honest, truth is disguised by secrets and lies and it is only revealed when those veils fall. Let's play a little game. I'm going to say three words and I want to know what you think of them. What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the together? What do they mean?

Truth.

Secret.

Lie.

So? How are they associated to one another?

**Truth**: rooted in fact and reality, based in honesty. But here's where things get you. There's _the_ truth and then there's _a _truth. What's the difference?

**Secret**: something kept, something not known or meant to be seen by others.

**Lie**: a fib, something false, something purposely deceptive.

Still can't figure it out? There's truth in every secret, but every secret is covered up by a lie. With lies come mystery, with mystery comes clues, and with clues come explanations. So, when all else falls, truth remains standing? Or when secrets are unveiled by lies, truth is revealed?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"_This is ridiculous and quite steep for a couple bruised ribs and a broken fibula."  
>"I was told this was all taken care of. Covered by the insurance!"<br>"I can be there to sort this crap out tomorrow night!"_

Miranda paced back and forth in her room with her fingers pressed to her temples. She hadn't the slightest idea on what she had just overheard, but she did know one thing was for sure: Tammy was upset about something and not in anger. No. To Miranda it sounded like…_fear_. It had Miranda asking herself a bunch of questions: _When was Tammy ever in the hospital? Why did she sound so afraid? Why was sorting whatever she needed sorted so critical? And since __**when**__ did Tammy go anywhere for work? _So many questions were sprinting through her mind. She needed to calm down, breathe. But she couldn't. She had this irking sensation in her blood. She always knew that Tammy was not to be trusted, but she never understood why. A part of her always figured that it was because Tammy had tried to replace her mother when she went missing. _No. It was before that. The first time I met her I felt that something was off about her._ What could it be?

Miranda always found Tammy gazing after Marissa with lust and desire, but in a manner that almost seemed obsessive. The phone would wake her up at 3:00 in the morning too, not just her mothers and she always knew who was on the other end. Maybe, on some level, she was frustrated with her mothers for putting up with Tammy's late night phone calls instead of referring to a professional.

_Shit, I dunno __**what**__ the hell it is! Do I wanna know? _

_Of course._

_I'm gonna find out…one way or another…_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"_Maybe it was even before that when we went away with the kids…and you told me how you felt… Or…maybe even when we were locked in that closet…and we had to depend on each other in order to survive…I knew something was going on even then I…just couldn't accept… I'm talking too much, aren't I?"_

Bianca stopped and pulled away from Marissa slightly. Her nose was still connected to the redhead's below her and she found that she was struggling to catch her breath.

"Are you okay?" Marissa asked in a whisper, bringing her scorching hand to Bianca's face.

"Yeah," Bianca muttered before allowing her lips to descend onto Marissa's once more.

"_Why are you being like this? If you didn't want me to kiss you then why did you kiss me back?"_

"_I have feelings for you, Marissa."_

"_What do you think it is I have for you?"_

…

"_I want this. I want you."_

…

"_We need to stop this before it starts."_

…

"_For the longest time I've been trying to figure out what it is between us… When I was tied up in that closet, fearing for my life? It was you there…making me feel safe, giving me the strength that I needed to fight back."_

…

"_I just care about you too much Marissa… I don't want either of us to get hurt."_

"_But you're hurting me now…by walking away?"_

"_Uh…someday, probably sooner than you think, you'll umm…you'll see that this is right…"_

Bianca found herself seeing nothing but black after she felt herself walking away in what she assumed to be a memory…a broken memory. She was shocked and didn't know what to make of it. The confusion that it had ignited in her questioning everything about the woman who rested below her body, who was now, slowly, leaving a trail of shiver-inducing kisses down the length of her neck. _What does this me-?_ She found that she couldn't finish her thoughts. Her brain, body and soul were preoccupied, completely engrossed in the feeling of Marissa's mouth sucking on her pulse-point. It caused her toes to curl and she found herself biting her lip. Soon enough, Marissa's lips found hers again and Bianca felt herself falling onto her side and pulled Marissa closer to her.

As she felt Marissa shift towards her, connecting their torsos together, Bianca felt well enough to slip her own tongue past Marissa's. She was pleased at the sound of a velvety groan escaping the back of Marissa's throat. It caused the brunette to brush her tongue against Marissa's teeth, and using her own to take in the succulent lip that belonged to Marissa, gently.

"Oh God," Marissa moaned against Bianca's lips. Bianca pulled away momentarily to breathe. With their foreheads glued together and her eyes opened, Bianca was completely ensnared by Marissa's clouded ones. "Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"

Marissa hadn't allowed for Bianca to reply, but it didn't matter to her. The ardent look of passion and longing written on Marissa's face was enough for her. She felt her heart erupt with emotion and soon felt Marissa moving along side her, rolling her onto her back. The redhead was straddling her now and was pulling on her sweater, causing Bianca to move upwards. She sat up with Marissa in her lap and felt her hands in her hair, pulling Bianca closer. The brunette slid her hands under Marissa's sweater again, itching to lift it above her head. As her hands made to move to make her intended action a reality, she was interrupted by another flash behind her eyes.

"_Hiii."_

"_Hi… Are you okay?"_

"_Iii…I'm amazing."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah… I don't look amazing?"_

_Morning afterglow? Hotel room? Am I? No…no I couldn't…Marissa wouldn't do that… No. No. No._

"No!" Bianca breathed, pulling away from Marissa. She stood up, leaving her friend below on the grass in confusion.

"What? Bianca, what's wrong?"

"This. This is wrong. We can't… I can't."

"Okay, okay." Marissa said. She stood up and ran over to Bianca, trying to grab her hands, but the brunette wouldn't have it. She only moved back. "Bianca, what's wrong? What did you see?"

"_That_ doesn't matter. I just… I wanna go back to the house. Can we please, just go?"

Marissa looked at Bianca and saw a look she hoped that she wouldn't ever see on Bianca's beautiful face, especially when it came to her: fear. Was Bianca scared of Marissa? That question alone made Marissa powerless and weak and afraid herself. The plea in the brunette's voice had Marissa nodding.

The entire walk back to the car was silent and Bianca had decided to keep her distance from Marissa, occasionally glancing in her direction. She noted that Marissa was walking with her eyes planted firmly on the ground and her lips were pressed in a straight line. From the crease on the side of her face near her eye, Bianca could see that Marissa was having an inner discussion with herself. It took every ounce of strength in her to not shuffle sideways a bit and wrap Marissa in her arms, yet again. But something didn't seem right to her. Those two memories that she had seen flash before her confirmed something for her: the feelings she had for Marissa weren't the result of appreciation for everything that she has done for her, but because they were there well before her amnesia.

Bianca remembered the feeling of elation as Marissa spoke about kissing her, still feeling the fiery sensation on them as she questioned her, and not because in reality Marissa was actually kissing her. She also remembered the guilt in her stomach because of what she had admitted to the redhead, acknowledging and confessing her feelings for Marissa. _But why was there guilt?_ She remembered the heartache and pain, yet the relief she felt when she walked away and knew that she and Marissa couldn't be together, no matter how badly either of them wanted to be.

Then came the second memory.

The feeling of wrapping her arms around Marissa's waist was an amazing feeling and one that had her smiling and satisfied. But their surroundings? It got Bianca thinking…assuming… She thought about what it meant and she could only come to one conclusion and that had her asking herself a question that caused her distress…

_Were we having an affair?_

It burned her stomach and she hadn't realized just how close they had been to the house. Bianca hadn't said anything since they left the confines of the tree-bordered park. But to be fair, neither had Marissa. She was too bust staring at the ground below her, trying to figure out what Bianca could have possibly seen to make her react the way she had. Marissa thought that they were coming to a great place. She had let Bianca take the lead in everything tonight, except for the place of choice. Sure, Marissa had chosen the park, but only because of their history there. Every major event in their relationship, pre-amnesia, had happened in that park: their first kiss, the first time they looked at houses, when they decided to move in together, their plans for the house, reunions, and goodbyes. Their initials were carved on the tree and, in between that tree and the bench, Bianca had proposed to her. _What the hell is going on?_ Marissa found herself thinking. _Why won't she…can't she just tell me?_

Driving was proving to be difficult for Marissa at this point. She couldn't concentrate on anything other than her wife sitting next to her in the passenger's seat. She tried to focus on the road ahead to get the two of them home alive, but she couldn't help it. This was ridiculous, absurd, senseless, ludicrous… She should be able to talk to Bianca about anything, anytime, anywhere, without being afraid. Bianca would be honest with her. _She may not remember me, but she's still my Bianca…_

"I think…"

Marissa escaped her head at the sound of Bianca's tense and unnerved voice.

"Yeah?" She asked as she turned onto their street to get to their home, looking to Bianca for a moment.

"I think I should…move out…"

"What? …What? Why?" Marissa asked in a frantic panic. Bianca remained silent and looked down at her clasped hands in her lap. "Bianca? Please? Can you _please_ tell me why you would…why you want to do that?"

Bianca looked at Marissa and felt that she was on the verge of tears. The break in Marissa's voice was causing her to regret what she had said, even though she meant it. She was almost certain that she and Marissa had been having an affair prior to her disappearance. It made sense to her and she didn't want it to continue. Bianca knew, from the moment Marissa had explained to her what an amazing woman her wife was, that Marissa was still and always would be in love with whoever she was. She could tell from the look on Marissa's face and the different tones that expressed themselves when she spoke of her, that it was a forever kind of love. Bianca didn't want to be the reason Marissa forgot about that. They had finally reached the house and Bianca knew this because she felt still. Marissa had turned the vehicle off, but neither of them moved.

"Bianca?"

Bianca looked up at Marissa and noticed that she was waiting for an answer.

"Uh, maybe we should go inside." Bianca said, moving to get out.

"No, wait a minute," Marissa said. She reached over the console to place a gentle hand on Bianca's arm. Bianca turned and looked at Marissa's hand on her arm.

"Marissa, please. Let me go…"

"I can't…" Marissa let it hang. "We have to talk about this. Why wou-"

"Marissa, please. Open the door. Let me go."

Marissa sighed and did exactly what Bianca asked of her. She escaped the car quickly; not wanting to be further questioned by Marissa, a woman Bianca knew she needed to get away from. _She's married and she kissed me like that. We were having an affair; I know it. Why would she do this? Why would she throw it all away, everything, love, her family, for a few stolen moments with me?_

"Bianca!" Marissa loudly said, following Bianca to the doorstep.

"Marissa, please. I'm tired. I'm just gonna go to bed."

"Umm, no! No! You're not going anywhere. We're gonna talk about this." The redhead exclaimed, dropping her purse on one of the chairs on the porch.

"I can't."

"Bianca, please. Talk to me. What's this all about?"

"I...I can't stand..."

"What? You can't stand what?"

There was a deafening silence that settled between them. Marissa only continued to stare at Bianca, waiting for any sound that may escape her mouth. The faintest whisper she was certain she could catch. She still didn't know what Bianca remembered, but she did know that it made her scared. The possibility that Bianca was remembering other loves and those feelings could be taking over her? _What if she flashbacked about…_

"Bianca...is this about...is this about Maggie? Are you...do you want-"

"No! God! Why does everyone keep fixating on her? You know, I would LOVE to know why everyone hates her so much. What happened that was SO terrible? Out with it!"

"What? I…I just don't like her very much." Marissa reasoned.

"No, there's something else."

"N-no I… Look, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just you're here, saying you want to move out and I have no idea why."

"BECAUSE OF YOU!" Bianca shouted.

"...Me?"

"Yes...you..."

"What? Why?" Bianca shot Marissa a look of annoyance.

"Seriously? Have you _not_ been paying attention to _anything_ between us these last few weeks?"

Of course Marissa had been paying attention. She couldn't focus on anything else. The palpable tension that arose between the two of them whenever they were together was enough to make Marissa throw caution to the wind. Marissa could still feel the blazing sensation everywhere on her body, mostly on her lips.

"Is this…is this because I _kissed_ you?" Marissa asked.

"Yes!" Bianca brought her hands to her eyes. "Oh, God," she let out a small cry. "...Marissa, you're married. You're married and you obviously still love whoever she is, judging by what you tell me about her, but you kissed me. Why?"

Marissa was silent. She didn't know what to say.

"You know I...I can't-"

"DON'T say you can't tell me! I don't wanna hear that anymore! There's more. I know it. I can feel it, okay? _Something_ is going on. I walk into places and people go silent, or they start whispering, particularly when you're in the room. Have you _any_ idea how frustrating that is? How crazy this is making me? Just tell me! There's something between us, isn't there?"

Marissa looked to the floor and then back at Bianca, drinking in those chocolate pools that always rendered her weak and intoxicated.

"Y-yes…" Marissa admitted, tears beginning to form behind her hazel eyes, which were beginning to turn green.

"Something big?"

"You…" She sighed. "You might say that…"

"Well, what is it?"

Marissa placed a hand on the back of her neck, rubbing a spot there. Bianca noticed Marissa's action and recognized its meaning: she was nervous.

"Wh-why don't you sit down?" Marissa suggested, causing Bianca sigh in frustration.

"No! I don't wanna sit down, okay? Look, Marissa, it _can't_ be as bad as what I think it is, okay?"

"Well, what do you think it is?"

Bianca ran a hand through her brown waves and took a deep breath. She tried to keep her tears at bay, but she was failing. They had started their course down her right cheek.

"Just tell me…please… Just tell me."

The front door opened and Tammy stood there with a smile on her face.

"I thought I heard your voice Marissa." The blonde held up the phone. "Uh, Gabby's on the phone for you."

Marissa looked from the phone to Bianca, giving the brunette an apologetic look. Bianca was frustrated at the interruption, but nodded in understanding. _I wouldn't lov-…do I love her? Is that why this hurts so much? How can I love her? I __**do**__ love her! Why? _She thought the words she was going to say. _I wouldn't love her if she didn't take the phone and speak to Gabby._ Bianca's face went blank and Marissa noticed. Putting her palm over the receiver, Marissa addressed Bianca.

"Look…I really wanna talk about this, so can you just come in and wait? I…" Marissa had become fed up with hiding the truth from Bianca. She wanted it to come out; she needed it to come. No more secrets, no more lies. "I'll tell you everything. Please?"

Tammy backed into the house as she stared between Bianca and Marissa. She noticed the looks they were giving each other and couldn't stand it. She wanted Bianca gone, that much she knew. How she was going to make that happen? She had an idea…or two…

Bianca nodded and moved into the house, passing Tammy.

Marissa sighed to herself in relief and felt her heart rate begin to calm down, knowing that Bianca would stay, but the thought came over her about what Bianca's reaction would be to knowing about their relationship, their family, their love… _Please God. Don't make her run…_ Marissa walked into the kitchen and began to speak with Gabby, watching as Bianca made her way into the family room.

Tammy followed Bianca into the family room. She rested herself against the entrance frame of the room and watched as Bianca attempted to make herself comfortable on the couch, patiently waiting for Marissa.

"Are you okay?" Tammy asked.

"Uh…kinda. Not really sure."

"That sucks… What's wrong?"

"It's complicated." Bianca said, trying to remain calm.

"Oh…I'm sorry if it feels like I'm probing-"

"N-no. It's just me, I'm kinda all over the place in my head."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Tammy said sweetly. "Gabby's a _great_ kid, isn't she?"

Bianca smirked and nodded.

"She really is."

"Yeah. _Nothing_ like her sister."

"What do you mean?" Bianca asked, scrunching her eyebrows.

"Well… I mean it's not Miranda's fault the way she is. Having that man as her father, she was bound to end up like him."

"I still don't understand you."

"Her manipulative side? Incredible charm? Her ability to persuade anyone? She's a natural born liar, which is understandable having Michael Cambias as a father. I mean she looks _exactly_ like him, especially his eyes. How you managed to love her as her mother? It still _amazes_ me. I mean, you didn't listen to your mother and have an abortion because you loved her as an unborn child. Your ability to love is amazing."

Bianca froze as she sat there, listening to Tammy's words. _No, that can't be true. I can't be. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? WHAT THE HELL IS TAMMY SAYING? No! NO! WHY?_ Violent tears began to escape Bianca's face as she noticed the satisfied look coming over Tammy's face, even though she couldn't be sure because of the moisture fogging her vision. It couldn't be, could it? The one night she wanted to forget, she was so desperate to forget, would never leave her. She had a constant reminder everyday? She had been able to do that? How could Miranda be Michael Cambias's child?

_Manipulative? Miranda wasn't manipulative._

_Charming? That she was, but she did it with flare, not arrogance._

_Persuasive? She could be, most definitely._

_Liar? She's never lied to me…has she?_

Bianca thought about the teen's eyes…then Michael's eyes. His were dark green with a hint of topaz in them, cold, evil, empty. Miranda's eyes were green too, not as dark, but the hint of gold was there. But hers were happy, strong, full of love. _She's mine?_

"Hey!" Bianca wiped her eyes and looked up to see Miranda standing over her with a grin on her face, which fell the moment their eyes met. Immediately, the younger woman sat beside Bianca, concern befalling her features. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Bianca shifted away slightly.

"Are you okay?" Miranda asked.

Finding it difficult to look up, Bianca forced herself to question Miranda.

"Is it true? …Are you mine?"

Miranda's face lit up, only slightly.

"You remember?"

"No," Bianca said. She looked over to Tammy, who still stood in the doorway. _Why is she still standing there?_ Bianca wondered.

Miranda noticed the direction her mother's eyes had taken and watched as they settled upon the blonde at the entrance.

She looked at Bianca, then Tammy, back to her mother, then back to the blonde. She was wearing a knowing smirk, gratification clearly evident on her face as she pointed her nose up. _Evil bitch_ Miranda thought.

"What did you say to her?" Miranda asked, standing up.

"That's right, get angry Miranda."

"_What _did you _say_ to her!"

"The _truth!_ A concept _so_ completely _nonexistent_ in this house! I was just helping her remember." Tammy offered.

"Where the hell do you get off doing this to her? Are you PSYCHOTIC!"

"And there's that classic Cambias anger. Proof enough Bianca? She's yours _and _Michael Cambias's."

"DON'T SPEAK TO HER THAT WAY!" Bianca shouted, standing up.

The three of them heard the patter of feet in the hallway. Marissa entered the family room and looked at all three women. The tension in the air was thick and didn't go unnoticed by Marissa.

"What's going on in here?"

"Marissa-" Tammy started.

"_You,_ shut the hell up!" Miranda spat at Tammy. "You're bitch of a friend has decided to take matters into her own damn hands!"

"Wh-?"

"She told her that I was result of a past pain… She told her I was her daughter."

"What? …You did what?" Marissa asked Tammy. "Why would you do that?"

"I thought she was allowed to know." Tammy simply said.

"Bullshit!"

"Miranda, calm down," Marissa said.

"_How? How_ can I calm down? Look at her," Miranda said, pointing to Bianca. "She can't even _look_ at me."

"That's not true," Bianca said with a small voice. She looked at Miranda. It's not that she couldn't look at Miranda, she just didn't know how to handle this. She didn't feel any different for the nineteen year-old girl, she still loved her. _Maybe more…_

Marissa looked from her daughter to her wife. Then, she looked at Tammy and sighed.

"Whatever the reason or intention…good or bad…I want you out." Marissa said. Her voice was clear and strong.

"What?" Tammy asked. She was hurt.

"You heard me. I've done _everything_ for you. I was there when you needed me. I offered you a home, food, clothes, and a sense of family when you lost everything. You've lived here, rent free, for nine months and I _never_ asked you for _anything_ in return. I helped you find an amazing job with that fashion magazine, paying you more than you ever have in your life. I trusted you with things that I couldn't tell _anyone_ because I was struggling with losing my best friend and my wife. I _asked_ you _not_ to tell Bianca about the intimate details of her life, like who her daughters are because of what her doctors said. I trusted you and you betrayed that trust! So…listen VERY clearly because my patience is wearing thin! I…want…you…out! I don't care where you go, just make sure it's not here or in the pool house. I want you _gone._ Understand?"

"Mommy?"

Marissa could hear the holler of her little boy. Nathan had woken up in all of the commotion and couldn't get back to sleep. Marissa took a deep breath.

"By the time I get back down here, you better be gone…"

"Wait Marissa-"

"No, Tammy. You're not going to talk your way out of this. I have to go see my son…"

Marissa left the room, going up the stairs to see Nathan and try to put him back to sleep.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda sat outside. She wanted to make sure that Tammy had actually left the premises. She was ready for any fight that Tammy might start. When she woke up this morning, Miranda hadn't the slightest idea that this was where her day would finish. She hated what Tammy had done to her mother and, if she could, Miranda would make Tammy pay every waking minute of her life for the pain she caused her. Tammy had taken something from Bianca that she had spent months trying to overcome: adversity. Bianca had finally started to put the remembrance of Michael Cambias to rest. Even the nightmares had become less frequent. Now? Now, Miranda wasn't sure what to make of her mother's progress.

Miranda heard someone coming up to the front from the side of the house. Tammy walked across the driveway and Miranda stood and put her hands in her sweater pockets.

"This isn't over Little Montgomery," Tammy voiced.

"Ooo, look at me I'm shaking." Miranda said with a smirk and wide eyes. "You know…I _really_ ought to thank you."

"Oh yeah?" Tammy asked. "And why is that?"

"Because I want my moms to be together more than anyone else. Of all the relationships my mother has had, Marissa makes her the most happy and, by the looks of it, my mother loves Marissa _even_ when she can't remember who she is. Now, here's the best part. You thought that by telling Bianca who I am would drive her out of here and you could continue your pursuit of Marissa. But you _failed_ to recognize Tammy that, Bianca _knows_ that my mother is Marissa's wife. The only reason why she hadn't done anything about it is because she felt guilty for loving Marissa while she had a wife. So you see, if anything, you _pushed_ them closer together."

Tammy chuckled.

"You forget Miranda, your _mother_ is in shock by you and your dirty conception."

"Maybe," Miranda said. She continued to smirk. "But, like I said, she _knows_ that my mom is Marissa's wife and the woman she loves. Bianca isn't stupid. Once the 'shock' wears off, as you so eloquently put it, she's gonna realize who she is to Marissa and who Marissa is to her… Now leave."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_All through the night  
>Near and far<br>We will be together  
>So hush<br>Don't you cry  
>You will be in my arms<br>Forevermore_

_That sounds familiar…_

Bianca stood in the doorway of the children's bedroom. She was listening to Marissa sing her son back to the isles of dreamland, hoping to wake up happy. After Tammy had left the room to grab her things, Bianca watched Miranda leave the family room. She let her know that she was going to sit outside to make sure that Tammy actually left. Bianca had simply nodded and found herself unable to think. Her mind was a complete blank except for one thought: _I'm a mother…_ She watched Marissa from the hallway, leaning by Nathan's bedside, listening to every word that passed between them.

"G'night baby." Marissa whispered as she leaned down to kiss her baby's head.

"G'night Mommy." Marissa stood up and turned around to see Bianca watching her. She sighed and moved towards Bianca, who had started to walk into the bedroom.

"Do…do you mind if I-?" Bianca asked. She pointed a finger to Nathan as if asking for permission to say good night.

"No, no." Marissa said. "Go right ahead."

Bianca walked the extra three steps she needed to get to Nathan's bed and knelt down. She ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. He squinted a bit and opened his eyes halfway. Bianca leaned over and kissed the little boy's cheek.

"Good night Nate. Love you."

"Love you too Momma." He muttered.

Marissa's heart felt full, until she heard Nathan's words and then felt completely terrified. She watched as Bianca stood and turned to look at her.

"'Momma?'"

o.o.O.O.o.o

Do you hate me? I am LOVING the reviews for this and I really LOVE your theories. You guys really are amazing! Please leave more reviews! I'm having a blast with this!


	17. Discoveries

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Bianca's POV**

On the list of the most famous discoveries that the entire universe has ever come across:  
>Heliocentrism<br>Mendel's Laws of Genetics  
>Evolution<br>DNA sequencing  
>Pangaea<br>Newton's Laws  
>Chris Columbus discovering North America <p>

NEVER have I ever imagined that the one little, five-letter word that had escaped Nathan's mouth could be as shocking to me as any of the aforementioned discoveries had on the human race. The fact that Miranda _and_ Gabby were my daughters had been uncovered to me. With that had opened up a door to my mind. I'd never say that to anyone, but my brain had gone into shock, but it caused a chain reaction of other discoveries. Have you ever been in that position? To completely black out and have your mind morph its way into a completely different area of your memory that you couldn't access before? It's like watching a movie with the camera shaking violently – confusing and distressing. But once it's over, there's this moment of clarity and excitement…anxiousness, depending on what you see or what's been revealed to you. Kinda makes you wonder what else the world holds to be discovered…or, in my case, what else there is to be unraveled…

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_Now leave._

Miranda's words burned in Tammy's ears with an everlasting effect. If there was one thing Tammy didn't want, it was to leave…for two reasons.

The first and most important, it meant that she would be away from Marissa. The redhead was right – she _had_ done everything for her after her divorce from her husband. Her feelings for the lawyer had appeared out of the blue. Marissa had worked all hours of the day and well into the hours of the night on her case, making sure that Tammy wasn't left with nothing in the settlement. Divorcing a police officer was no easy process, especially when he was Chief at the time. He had a lot of power in his position and, given the fact that Tammy had cheated on his, and with a woman at that, didn't exactly make her case any easier. But Marissa was able to propose a decent settlement for the both of them, which didn't allow for Tammy to walk away empty-handed. However, Tammy had managed to screw things up for herself when she was fired from her previous job as an archivist. After that, she turned to Marissa as a friend and she had gotten Tammy back on her feet.

The second reason Tammy didn't want to leave was because Miranda had said it. The blonde had never trusted the young teenager and knew all about the young lady from what she had read about her. Tammy was strong in her belief that children were a map of their parents and Miranda was no exception to that rule. Because Miranda's father was Michael Cambias, she believed that the younger woman was exactly like him in every way. As for Bianca, Tammy had always seen the woman as fake – a victim of herself and a woman who deserved all of the pain she had gone through in her life because of her weaknesses. According to Tammy, Marissa had deserved _so_ much better.

"This isn't over Miranda."

Miranda smirked.

"Oh, I hope not."

Tammy walked further towards the teenager, coming toe-to-toe with her.

"You're going to pay for this."

"Bah! Pay? Sweetie, you did this all on your own. I didn't have to lift a finger with you orchestrating everything for me. I mean, yeah, I want my moms back together so we could be a happy family because it was ripped from us, but here's the thing. Yes, I can be manipulative. I can be persuasive. I _am_ charming," she said, flashing a smile. "I've lied, most definitely. But here's the thing, you see…I'm patient. _That_ I get from my mom… And I know how to love and how to step away when I see someone I love happy. Unlike you who pushes and keeps on pushing to the point where what they wanted gets _so_ far out of reach that they end up worsening the situation for themselves." Tammy's lips had formed a straight line and Miranda could see her facial features had been filled with a maddening colour of red. "So, dear Tammy, I _really_ hope that this is _far_ from over. Karma's a bitch for people like you."

"You're _exactly_ like your father."

"Ooo! Ouch, you're hurting me… C'mon Tam-Tam…find a different button to push…it's getting gold and worn out… Now leave, before I call the cops."

Tammy knew when to stop…at least she knew now. Not wanting to stir up any more trouble for the night, she backed off and walked down the driveway to her car. She glanced at the brunette who still stood on the stone steps of the colonial house, arms crossed with an empty look on her face. Getting into the driver's seat, Tammy turned the vehicle on and took off. As she drove away, she took a look into her rearview mirror and watched as Miranda had gone back into the house.

_You really hope this is far from over, huh Little Montgomery? Sometimes hopes and dreams do come true and they will… For both of us._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

It doesn't matter how old you are, Marissa had always believed one thing to be true for little girls: they always dreamed about the person they would spend the rest of their life with. This view might change over time, changing from being hopeful to being downright bitter, but she believed that young girls would have that kind of daydream at _least_ once in their young lives. Watching her wife lean down to kiss their little boy goodnight from his bedroom door was one thing that Marissa had always counted on growing up. She wanted the love of her life to love their kids no matter what and she wanted to know that watching them with their children would always get her heart racing. Right now, her fantasy had become a reality. Bianca may not remember their family, but Marissa knew that how the brunette felt about them ran well beyond what she could perceive at the moment.

"Good night Nate. Love you."

"Love you too Momma."

Marissa froze. _Oh God,_ she thought. Marissa knew that it had been revealed to Bianca that Miranda and Gabby were her daughters, but that hadn't meant that the brunette had managed to connect the dots…or add one and one to make two when it came to what that revelation meant. She watched as Bianca stood and turned to look at her. The brunette's face was plastered with different emotions, changing every second from content, to relief, to fear, to confusion and the cycle seemed to continue.

"'Momma'?" Bianca asked. "Wh-"

Bianca cut herself short and stared at Marissa, unable to begin her sentence, let alone finish it. A million thoughts and questions had gone through her mind, interfering with the thoughts she had earlier on in the night. Bianca thought back to what Tammy had said to her and how the blonde's declaration had thrown Bianca into a chain of memories. They flashed across her eyes and echoed in her ears. She hoped one of them would show her some form of evidence, a glimmer of truth in Tammy's words, but only one out of three had.

"_I don't want any kind of juice."_

…

"_Because it's not real to you yet –" _

"_No, it __**is**__ real. It's __**too**__ real."_

"_Listen… You're not used to the idea yet. When you are, then you'll be able to tell her-"_

"_What if I am? …I'm pregnant…what am I going to do about this?"_

…

"_I'll call and I'll write… I'll send you pictures of the baby. You know goofy ones…with her face all covered in cake on her birthday?"_

"…_Great… I can't wait…"_

"…_Maggie, what's wrong? …Please talk to me."_

"_Ye…just gimme a second. I'm about to lose the person…I care about most in this world."_

_Bianca put a comforting arm around Maggie's shoulders, clutching one in her right hand. She leaned her forehead against Maggie's left temple._

"_You could never lose me… I promise…" _

_Maggie turned her head suddenly, placing her lips on Bianca's._

…

She had been brought out of her flashbacks the moment she heard Tammy speaking to Miranda in a distasteful manner. Something had taken over inside of her, a primal instinct to protect Miranda. Those interrupted moments had clashed with the one she currently found herself in. The moment "Momma" had escaped Nathan's lips, Bianca couldn't find the right reaction to portray the range of sensations that pooled themselves within her. She was looking at the redhead for any answers…

Marissa took Bianca by the hand, leading her away from the safety of their children's room. She knew exactly what her wife was asking of her and a small part of Marissa was terrified that once everything was said and done, there was the possibility of losing Bianca for good. With her palm sweaty and her stomach heavy, Marissa led Bianca to their former bedroom.

Bianca was apprehensive. Completely nervous, but she needed to know. She had asked and Marissa promised. Unknowingly, she squeezed Marissa's hand a little tighter as they travelled further into Marissa's room. The lamp on one of the nighttables had been turned on, lighting the room only slightly.

"Wait here," Marissa whispered.

She had disappeared momentarily. Bianca sat on the comfortable mattress waiting for Marissa. She had never been in this part of the house before. Looking around the bedroom, she noted the soft colours of the walls, a warm mauve smiled at her. Marissa's furniture was modern, yet tasteful and there were exactly three photographs in the room. One lay on the dresser of the five kids in black and white. Miranda sat, holding a giggling Nathan in her arms, while a grinning Sofia stood behind a smirking Gabby, enveloping her older sister's neck. AJ lay strewn on the ground in front of his siblings and was laughing. Looking behind her off to her right, she saw a framed photo of Marissa and on the other side was one of her. _Me?_ When Bianca saw the bolt of red emerge from the closet, she became confused. Marissa carried a large frame, too large for anyone to carry, covered by a white sheet and she placed it down, firmly against the wall in front of Bianca.

"What's that?" Bianca asked.

"Answers."

Bianca lifted herself from her seat and walked, cautiously, over to the covered object. She reached out for the sheet with a shaky hand and pulled it off. Her eyes widened and she turned to look at Marissa. The redhead broke the silence.

"Go on…ask me…"

Bianca remained silent as she kept looking from the framed collage of a happy family to Marissa's hopeful face and back to the frame again. Marissa walked slowly to Bianca and stopped directly behind the brunette. She raised her right hand and placed it gently on Bianca's upper arm, not wanting to seem too forward.

"That uh…used to hang in the family room… You made it yourself… That's _our_ family. You, me…Miranda, AJ, Gabby, Nathan and Sofia…" Marissa leaned forward and rested her head between Bianca's shoulder blades. The moment was short-lived as she felt the brunette turn around to face her.

"What?" Bianca whispered.

"It's you," Marissa muttered.

"What's me?"

Marissa didn't know whether she should laugh at Bianca's confusion or scream out of frustration.

"Who I love…" Marissa said.

"What?"

_Actions speak louder than words._

Marissa took Bianca's face in one hand and closed the gap between them, placing her lips softly on Bianca's. As she kissed her, Marissa did her best not to push too far, but it seemed to her that Bianca was holding on as much as she was. What started out a gentle touch of their lips, quickly turned into a firm anchoring of a moment. Their lips didn't move. They simply latched onto each other in an unyielding clasp. Marissa reluctantly pulled away.

"_I_ love _you…_ _I'm_ married to _you. You_ are _my_ wife… _I_ love _you…_"

Bianca's head began to spin and then she heard the trace of a voice in her head.

'_**She**__ is the most amazing person I've ever met. I don't think that I could __ever__ live up to who she is and all that she's done for me. She's my rock… I love her __so__ much more than my own life – beyond the amount that anyone could love a person. Never in a million years did I think that she would happen to me. She keeps me going, and without her…I'd be hopeless…'_

"Bianca?"

She shook her head at the sound of Marissa's voice. As she looked at the redhead's face, she saw so much and those words Marissa had used to describe her wife? They were for her… All for her and she hadn't known. She thought she had come to accept that she might never gain her memory, but now? She wanted nothing more than for it to return. She _needed_ it to come back to her. Everything had made so much sense to her now.

The incredible urge to always be near Marissa. 

The way she caught Marissa staring at her.

The amount of comfort she received from the redhead in any state she found herself in.

The way she would find herself catching her breath every time she looked at Marissa.

Why her body felt like it would spontaneously combust the instant Marissa lay so much as a finger on her.

The immediate need to protect her.

_Why I dreamt about her and only her these last few years…_

Bianca felt a soft hand touching her chin, which pulled her back to reality.

"Talk to me…please?"

Marissa's voice was so soft and gentle. Her face was painted with the colours of worry and promise; of desire and love. Bianca simply continued to stare at Marissa, completely overthrown by the look those hazel eyes glanced at her with. It caused her own brown ones to become charged with an overflow of tears. And at their presence, Marissa pulled Bianca into a tight hug, cradling her wife's head and bringing it to her chest. The pair of them fell to the floor and they simply cried. Marissa kept a hold on Bianca and Bianca reciprocated, clutching Marissa around her waist.

_They have to come back… They have to come back now. I have to remember them… I have to remember my girls, AJ, the twin… I __**have**__ to remember Marissa. How can I not? _

Marissa found that she and Bianca were resting against the footboard of their bed. She held her wife as if she never would again; as if this were a dream and she'd wake up _very_ soon only to find that Bianca still didn't know the truth about them and their life together. _But she knows… She knows now and she's gonna know __**everything**__…anything she asks, I'm gonna answer._ Marissa held Bianca as close to her as she possibly could. Her knees were bent on either side of Bianca's hips as the brunette lay, resting her head on Marissa's breastplate. She could feel the redhead press soft kisses to her temples every so often. It soothed her…it amazed her. She heard Marissa sigh before she spoke.

"Are you okay?"

Bianca exhaled and lifted her left hand, reaching for Marissa. She found her neck and Marissa moved her head forward so she could angle it to look at her wife.

"I think so," Bianca said. She held Marissa's gaze, needing to feel the impact that she had on her, wanting so much more than she could understand was feasible.

"Good." She said, placing her cheek onto Bianca's forehead. "Uh…" Marissa swallowed the lump in her throat. "Do you…have any questions?" She asked.

"Tons."

"Like?"

"The frame?" Bianca said, pointing at the collage that still faced them.

"What about it?"

"The picture in the middle?" Marissa smiled. "Where's that from?"

Marissa tightened her hold on Bianca.

"Our honeymoon…"

"Really?"

"Yup… It was in this little isolated cabin not too far from here. Just a couple of towns over. You hated the cold and snow for the longest time, but after those couple of weeks with me…you had changed your outlook on snow entirely."

"What was our wedding day like?"

Marissa smiled again.

"It was white…everywhere. It's kinda funny because the night before, there was nothing on the ground. No sign of snow at all and it was uncommonly warm. Not hot or anything, just a few degrees warmer than it should have been that time of year, y'know? The night before, we were being kept from each other and you had managed to sneak away from your mother's house to come be with me. You surprised me here, on the deck out back. We found this cozy little reception area for the ceremony and we wrote our own vows. Yours were better, obviously… Our song was 'A Thousand Years' by Christina Perri…the same song we danced to that night of the Gala for the Miranda Centre…"

"What day was it?" Bianca asked, turning her head to look at Marissa. She took Bianca's hands in hers and intertwined them.

"December 6, 2014… One of the best days of my life."

A silence had settled between them. It wasn't uncomfortable, but there was something awry. Marissa had felt a tension in the room surface.

"Bianca?"

Marissa looked down and saw that the brunette was beginning to fall asleep.

"Hmm?" She mumbled.

"Are… Please don't move out."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"We got more Chief." Mike said as he handed more paper to Brot. He had been able to catch more sleep now. He felt that things were truly beginning to look up. Meyers had begun to be more compromising. He listed and marked every single place he had been told to transport Bianca Montgomery to while he was working for his employer. Only two locations had proven to be useful. There was a warehouse of some sort they had been to with a number of CSIs and a small house in the middle of nowhere. This house was the last place Bianca had been kept before she was rescued by Kendall and the private investigators. Brot had even gathered their information to help him out and offered to hire them to work with him on this case.

"Got a DNA sample back from the lab. We ran it through the system, but there's nothing there. Seems like this 'boss' person has had a clean record up until now. Lab says that the blood has been sittin' on that floor for about six months now."

"And they can tell that?"

"Yup. The hemoglobin starts to take different forms at different days."

"6 months huh? And it's not Meyers' blood?"

"No Sir. We've checked. Not to mention while you and I have been working on finding out who's behind all this shit, a bunch of others have been working on locating the rest of the employees."

"And?"

"We've arrested all but two. Ran their DNA against the sample and there are no matches."

Brot nodded.

"Okay, what about the list?"

"For the glove sales?" Brot nodded. "Nothing yet Sir." Brot nodded and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger as he leaned back in his chair. "But we won't stop."

"I know…"

"Something wrong?"

"I'm just trying to figure out why this case was closed to begin with…"

"What do you mean?"

"Robert Collins was Chief at the time, right? He was Jesse Hubbard's successor. I'm wondering why Collins, after only six months, would up and decide to close this case with the assumption that Bianca Montgomery was dead. I mean he never found a body."

Mike nodded in understanding.

"True, but he _was_ going through a hard time during that period. He was getting divorced and his prime suspect was proving to be less and less involved with the case."

Brot had an idea come to mind.

"Morris, I want you to do something for me."

"Name it."

"Don't ask why, just do it."

"Okay."

"I want you to find out _everything _you can about Officer Collins's divorce. His lawyer, settlements, his wife, her lawyer – everything."

Mike said nothing. He simply nodded and walked out the door.

Brot knew very well about the story of Officer Robert Collins. One of the youngest Chiefs to ever be recognized, his wife of 12 years had cheated on him…with a woman. _He finds himself being recognized with his prime suspect…what's missing?_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca sat in the living room with Sofia and Nathan. Marissa had been called into a meeting the moment she had woken up that morning. To the firm, Saturdays meant nothing and, because she was a partner, she was forced to be a part of every single meeting that took place.

When Bianca woke up, she found herself in a bed she didn't recognize. Her surroundings were foreign, but the recollection of the previous night came flooding back to her the moment she looked to her left. There was a slip of folded paper on the pillow where she knew Marissa had slept.

**I'm sorry I can't be there when you wake up. Stupid meetings always kill us. Please think about what I said.**

**You still get my heart racing.**

**Love Marissa**

Bianca remembered smiling at that second-last line. She also remembered what Marissa had told her minutes before the two of them collapsed in each other's arms, exhausted by the evening's events.

"_Please don't move out."_

_Bianca sat up slowly. She didn't know how to respond. She loved Marissa, there was no doubt about it now, but this still felt new to her. She didn't want to feel rushed in any way. She wanted to give Marissa what she wanted, but despite their history, what she felt, and what Marissa said, everything scared her a bit; everything felt new to her._

"_I…I dunno."_

"_Just…think about it. Please?"_

"_I will…"_

"You're not looking!" Sofia said.

Bianca shook her head from her memory.

"I'm sorry Fia."

"Okay…" The little girl began. "Watch."

Bianca watched as her daughter showed her how to tie her shoes, a skill that Nathan had already mastered and Sofia was still perfecting. Bianca watched as the little red-haired girl stuck her tongue out of her mouth in concentration and maneuvered her fingers to manipulate the laces. She pulled on the bow she made, tightening it and looked up with a toothy grin.

"Good job!" Bianca said enthusiastically. She held out her arms and Sofia jumped right into them. Pulling away, Sofia took Bianca's face in her hands and narrated her actions.

"'Kiss on the nose… Kiss on the chin… Kiss on one cheek… Kiss on the other… Tickles!'" Sofia began to tickle Bianca and the brunette genuinely giggled at the girl's innocence and sweetness. "That's how Mommy kisses me. Just for me. It's just for me."

Bianca smiled as she held Sofia in her arms and tickled the little girl. She pulled her close and rested her forehead on Sofia's before she tickled her again.

"Morning tickles?"

The two ladies on the floor looked up at the voice.

"Mimo!" Sofia said excitedly.

Miranda walked into the living room and stopped in front of the two of them.

"May I?" She asked, gesturing to the floor.

"Of course," Bianca said with a grin.

"Hey Fia, uh…why don't you go wake up Nathan? I wanna talk to Bianca for a second."

Sofia planted a big kiss on Bianca's cheek before she hopped out of her arms and ran up the stairs. At the disappearance of her youngest sister, Miranda sat next to her mother and took a deep breath. The light of the morning son was beating through the translucent curtains of the brightly painted room and Miranda took it as a sign of brighter days and change.

"H-…how are you?" Miranda asked Bianca.

"I'm good." Bianca said. She gave Miranda a soft smile.

"Good… Look umm…I'm really sorry about last night. Tammy, she-"

"No, no." Bianca interrupted. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Really?"

"Yes… If anything, I'm glad I know now… Even though my mind is _filled_ with questions, I'm still glad."

Bianca reached out and took Miranda's hand, which caused a smile to form on both of their faces.

"Well…I have questions too, y'know?"

Bianca scrunched her eyebrows.

"You do?" Miranda nodded. "Like what?"

"Like…did you _really_ _not_ suspect that I could be your daughter?"

Bianca sighed.

"It never crossed my mind, no."

"Not even Gabby? I mean she looks_ exactly_ like you."

"Nope… I dunno I mean…I guess because you guys all spoke of 'your mom' I never figured you could be talking about me. I had my own bedroom, which, by the way, what's that all about?"

Miranda smirked.

"That was your's and Marissa's bedroom _before_ Nathan and Sofia turned 1. You and her moved into the bedroom upstairs to be closer to the twins. That's how Gabby and I ended up sharing my room. Her room became the twins' room. AJ still lived here at the time and once he moved out, Gabby was headed to school out of town and was too lazy to move into AJ's former room."

Bianca nodded in understanding.

"Okay, my turn." Miranda said.

"Okay, shoot."

"Umm…how do I word this? Even though Griff said not to tell you anything, why didn't you just look everything up?"

This was a complicated question and one Bianca knew how to answer.

"Truth?" Miranda nodded. "I was scared of what I would find. When I came home, the local papers simply said that my family and friends were happy to have me home. I mean I was _really_ tempted to look everything about myself up. Being Erica Kane's daughter something is _bound_ to come up in a Google search, but I was scared to know. What if I found something out that I couldn't handle? Or if it was something I just didn't wanna believe or face? I didn't think that Banquet a number of weeks ago would be publicized because, let's face it, what good is a 'Safe House' if everyone knows about it, right? And everyone at the Miranda Centre just calls you Miranda. I always assumed your last name was Tasker. It all just came down to fear." Bianca let out the breath she had been holding while she spoke to Miranda. "My turn…why 'Mimo' and 'Junior'?"

Miranda smiled fully.

"You named me Mimo."

"I did?"

"Mmhmm…Miranda Mona Montgomery. Mi: Miranda and Mo? Well, that always confused me. Coulda been for either _Mo_na or _Mo_ntgomery… And Junior? Well, Kendall baptized me with that nickname."

Bianca chuckled. "Why's that?"

Miranda bit her bottom lip. "Well…because I'm a junior version of you…"

Bianca was about to reply when she felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. She cursed whoever was calling her at the moment. She apologized to Miranda and pulled the device out of her pants and noted the caller ID: _Maggie_. Bianca held up a finger and answered the phone.

"Hey… What happened last night?"

Miranda watched as her mother spoke on the phone with a former lover and current friend. She didn't know what to make of the situation. She only knew that she needed to support any decisions Bianca made from now on. It was her last chance and only hope of forming or reforming the bond that had been broken or severely damaged between them

"Right now?" Bianca asked. "I can't I'm-"

Bianca felt Miranda's hand tap her on her shoulder. She looked and saw the gestures she was giving her to put Maggie on hold momentarily.

"What's wrong?" Miranda asked.

"She wants to come get me to go talk somewhere…"

"So go. I can take care of the kids."

"Really?"

Miranda nodded. "We'll be fine. You have things you need to sort out. You should."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Oh, how Marissa hated meetings, particularly with the Board of Directors. It was always the same thing. Same men in the same grey suits, the same suggestions thrown at her, and the same books she ought to read by recommendation of these men. She was tired and anxious. She wanted to be at home with her wife and kids. She wanted to be able to talk to Bianca and convince her to stay, to not give up on them.

These meetings were painful.

But Marissa chose to ignore it. She was in that meeting, but she wasn't…not really. Her mind was somewhere else. It had gone back to last night, from the moment she stood watching Bianca say good night to Nathan.The swell of emotions she felt as she watched Bianca bend down to kiss Nathan's head forced Marissa to recall what Bianca had said to her on their wedding day.

_The minister spoke incoherent words to the two women in front of him. Marissa was completely lost in the way Bianca was staring at her to even recognize the fact that they weren't alone. Marissa mouthed an 'I love you' to Bianca and watched her soon-to-be wife's lips mouth an 'I love you too' in return. She smiled and wished she could kiss Bianca already, Standing there, holding her hands wasn't nearly enough. She had almost begun to lean forward when Bianca's mouth began to move, forming voluminous words._

"_Marissa… There are so many things I can promise you…like that I'll be dreaming of you every night, that you'll always be the only one I see and that won't ever change. That what we have isn't some momentary thing or that it'll stop when the mirror says we're older, because I'll never look the other way. You will always make my heart race. I'll never stop trying, I'll never stop trying to catch my breath when I look at you or watch you as you leave. I'll never stop holding your hand or reaching out for you. I'll never stop keeping your gaze. I'll never stop choosing you. I'll never stop loving you… You're my life, my love, my only and I promise that, no matter what, you'll always get my heart racing and these things that I could promise you? I do! I'll never get used to you. This is you and me forever…that'll never change…"_

"Mrs. Tasker?"

"Yes?"

"Is the 18th of May okay with you?"

_Shit._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Here's that info you wanted Chief. Morris asked me to drop it off at your desk."

Brot straightened his tie as he stood to receive the file he had been waiting for all morning. Smiling at the fellow officer, he thanked her and she left without saying a word. He slapped the file amongst the papers on his desk, causing some of them to move slightly at the sudden gust of wind. Sitting back down in his chair, Brot opened the envelope and removed the papers that he hoped had the answers he was looking for. Reading over the papers, a smile appeared upon Brot's face and he began to breathe a little easier. Chief Robert Collins had filed for a divorce with his attorney Jonathan Asher against his wife Tamara Hendersen on account of adultery on his wife's part. After 12 years of marriage, Ms. Hendersen had an affair with a woman. As for the settlement, there had been no prenuptial agreement and there were no children involved in the settlement. However, due to the circumstances, an even divide down the middle wasn't good enough for Chief Collins. He had begun to push, which ultimately led to a bloodthirsty battle, one in which he lost. This had all seemed moot to Brot, that is, until he saw the name of Tamara Hendersen's laywer.

_Marissa Tasker-Montgomery._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"You okay there?" Maggie asked as she zoomed down the highway, trying to reach her destination before noon. "You seem a little quiet."

Bianca looked from her gaze out the window at the passing scenery to Maggie in the driver's seat. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just…where are we going?"

Maggie smiled. "The boathouse."

"The boathouse?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah…it's our place."

_I know_, Bianca thought.

Maggie pulled up to the wooden shack by the lake. The rumbling of gravel beneath her tires brought a smile to her face as it was a reminder of what she and Bianca once had together. There was nothing on this earth that could stop their endless hours of talking and swimming. It was them against the world at one time and it was a period Maggie wished they could get back to and one that she had every intention of finding again. The two of them exited the car and walked into the little shack. It still held the same ropes and boats and gear that had been familiar to them in the past. Bianca walked out of there to the wooden banister overlooking the forest next to them. The leaves were nearly finished appearing and their colour was so vibrant in the sunlight. Maggie walked up to Bianca and stood next to her, hoping to get her to open up.

"Can I ask you something?" Bianca asked. "And be honest."

"Of course," Maggie said.

"Well, last night I had…I remembered something from when I was pregnant with Miranda."

"You remember that?"

Bianca nodded before she continued.

"Yeah. Anyways…I hadn't thought about it until you called this morning, but I was uh…looking to get out of Pine Valley and fast. You were there when I was looking for tickets and you fell silent. You couldn't look at me. And…you said you were about to lose the most important person to you in the world… Then…you kissed me."

Bianca paused. Maggie took her hand in her own before she asked, "So, what's your question?"

"Who were you to me? I mean…did we date? Was I just some passing thing? Were your feelings real _if_ you had them? I mean, we were best friends, right?"

"You tell me," Maggie said.

Before Bianca could reply, she realized that Maggie was slowly inching towards her, pulling at her hand to bring Bianca closer. Maggie's eyes had shut and pulled Bianca in to graze her lips in a soft kiss.

o.o.O.O.o.o

OKAY…NOW let's try this again…who hates me? C'mon, raise those hands up. Keep the faith! EVERYTHING is planned out for this so my mind's made up for everything that happened/will happen. I love you all! Please review!


	18. Confusion

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Marissa's POV**

There are certain things in life that we simply don't understand. It's not that we don't _want_ to comprehend what's trying to be said to or taught to us, it's just our brain can't grasp the concept. But it's not for out lack of trying that we wind up in this state of mind. We're told something, it's explained to us, in one form or another, and then someone asks, "Do you get it?"

It seems that the more complex the idea that's being explained to us, the larger the amount of energy is needed from us to make sense of it. But what's the result if you can't get your head around it?

You ask questions because you're lost in confusion.

These notions aren't always difficult though. Sometimes, they're the most simplistic statements you will ever hear. However, the difficulty lies in the shock…trying to understand the purpose of behind what you were just told; trying to understand why the feelings that rise within you are there; trying to answer the questions yourself so you look less like a fool or so you can be absolutely certain of what's being said before you voice your thoughts.

What does it mean to say 'I'm confused'?

You can't understand something?

You're stumped?

You can't wrap your head around something?

You're perplexed?

Bewildered?

Does any of this make sense to you? Because I'm not sure that any of it makes sense to me. I don't know how something so great can become so…insignificant… Well, maybe not insignificant, that's not fair…just…I dunno…

I'm so confused.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda watched as her mother hung up the phone. Bianca tossed the small device onto the couch behind the two of them and turned to look at her daughter. She said nothing, but she didn't have to. She simply watched the way Miranda looked at her. The young girl gave Bianca a small, vulnerable smirk as she leaned forward, draping her left arm across her knees and rested her chin in her right hand. Miranda sighed.

"You're gonna be okay." She said.

Bianca smirked at Miranda.

"You really think so."

Miranda nodded.

"I do… You've got some stuff to figure out, but I really believe this world's gonna go your way."

Bianca's grin only grew. She was about to say something, but the familiar tune by Simple Minds had filled the household causing mother and daughter to laugh.

"What is it with this song?" Bianca asked, as she remembered dancing to it with Marissa. The thought made her smile.

"It's my fault really. I corrupted the two of them and they really can't get enough of this song." Miranda said, lifting herself off of the floor. She turned around and held her hand out to Bianca who smiled and took a hold of it. Miranda pulled Bianca upwards and the two of them made their way up the stairs, but not before Bianca took her phone from the couch and stuffed into the pocket of her jeans. They stopped an inch short of the twins' bedroom and saw the way they danced around the room, freely, just having fun. They giggled and noticed the two women outside of their door.

"Come Mimo!" Sofia yelled. Miranda looked at Bianca and smirked before she took hold of her little sister and began to dance with her. Feeling a little left out, Nathan ran to the door.

"C'mon Binx," he said grabbing Bianca's hand. Bianca couldn't help but laugh at the little gentleman in front of her. She couldn't resist giving into his request as he flashed his tiny teeth at her with a small plea in his hazel eyes. They were green in the light and she fell prey to adorable appeal. Bianca gave in and followed Nathan as he pulled her into the bedroom. He began to wave her arm around while holding her hand. The jump in his dance moves made her smile brightly and she had scooped him into her arms the moment his feet left the ground for another jump. She brought his little body to hers and the two of them danced around the room.

Bianca laughed. She genuinely laughed and felt a rise of happiness in her chest. She placed Nathan on his bed and he began to jump freely. She took a glance over to Miranda and Sofia. The two of them were in a world of their own. Sofia stood on her bed, moving her little hips side-to-side, jamming on her air guitar. Miranda mirrored the little girl's actions, putting a little more rock into it. Bianca tore her gaze from the two ladies and back to Nathan who still jumped on his bed. She reached out for him and he pounced into her arms without question. He clung his little arms around her neck and rested his chin on her shoulder. She rocked him in her arms and, even above the loud music; she could hear him whisper in her ear.

"I misst you."

His words only made her tighten her grip on the little boy. She loved this child and as she looked at Sofia and Miranda, there was that same feeling within her.

Nathan pulled himself away from Bianca and leaned back to look at his other mom. He flashed another grin and started laughing.

"What?" She asked, giggling along with him.

"That's tickling my toes."

Bianca laughed more.

"What is?"

"Your phone," Nathan said as he pointed downwards.

Bianca hadn't even felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She shifted Nathan to one side of her body as she reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone. She had a text message from Maggie.

_I'm here._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

She didn't know how she did it, but she had managed to get back on track in that meeting. They had wanted her to go on one of their business ventures, but she had to decline. Marissa knew that she couldn't leave Pine Valley for even an hour at the moment. She had too much at stake with her kids still being so young and with her and Bianca just beginning to find their way back. She was very excited and bubbly about the latter. Marissa knew that Bianca had woken up alone, much to her dismay, and wanted to make it up to her. Marissa had woken up that morning completely content, even though the previous night was somewhat painful and difficult for her and Bianca. But after all was said and done, Marissa felt an inner serenity that calmed her.

_They had been sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed for a while. Marissa had Bianca in her arms. She tightened her grip on her wife, fearing that it might all be a dream like the ones she used to have. Catching a glance of the reflection of her digital clock beside her bed in the mirror, she had realized it was nearing midnight. They had been sitting on the floor for the last two and a half hours. And it had been nearly an hour since either of them had said a word. _

_Marissa looked down at the woman in her arms. Bianca's breathing had evened out a while ago. She was asleep. Marissa laughed as she looked at her face. Loose brown strands of hair had fallen over the brunette's face, resting on the ledge of her mouth. Marissa lifted her arm to direct her fingers to the sultry lips she adored. With her fingernail, she removed the rebellious strands, causing Bianca to stir. She watched as Bianca sighed and cuddled closer into the crook of her neck. Marissa felt the rate of her heart begin to race, remembering the feeling of being so devotedly close to her wife. She didn't want it to end. Looking back at the clock, Marissa felt that it was time for them get up off of the floor. Even though she didn't want to wake Bianca up, Marissa knew she had to. She caressed the hair on Bianca's head and leaned her own down to whisper into her wife's ear._

"_Hey you, wake up." Bianca stirred momentarily before she shook her head. "C'mon… You're tired. Let's get you into a warm and comfortable bed."_

_Bianca opened her eyes, slowly, and looked up at Marissa._

"_Sorry," she said, rubbing the fatigue from her eyes. "I should get downstairs." Bianca sat up from her position against Marissa, who had loosened her hold a bit, but wriggled her arms around Bianca's waist._

"_Or…" Marissa said, placing her chin on Bianca's shoulder, taking a deep breath. "You could…stay here…"_

_Bianca turned her head and body a bit looking a little scared, but intrigued to say the slightest._

"_R-really?"_

_Marissa nodded._

"_It's your bed too."_

_Bianca looked past Marissa at the bed and before she could speak, Marissa had already bet her to it._

"_I mean…we won't…do anything. I wouldn't put that kinda pressure on you. You just…you look exhausted and it's a lot to walk all the way down two flights of stairs…" Some of the fear in Bianca's expression faltered and was replaced by an affectionate smirk. "…If you want." Marissa added._

_Bianca nodded. Marissa let out a breath of relief and smiled._

"_Okay." She said. Standing up, Marissa held out a hand for Bianca to take, which she did. Moving to the dresser, Marissa pulled out a pair of Bianca's old pajama bottoms and a tank top for her to change in._

"_You used to wear these a lot," Marissa said, handing Bianca the clothes. _

"_Thanks." Bianca headed to the bathroom to change and Marissa did the same, but stayed in their room. _

_Once she was ready, Marissa pulled the sheets back and crawled onto her side and patiently waited for Bianca to return. She was nervous, but giddy. Marissa had been waiting so long to finally fall asleep with Bianca beside her, once again and with Bianca knowing who she was to her. She knew nothing would happen, but that didn't keep her from being excited. __**Holding her is enough for now…it's enough to the end of forever.**__ Her thought was interrupted when her bathroom door opened and the lights went out. Bianca reappeared in the bedroom and shuffled over to the empty spot on the bed. Marissa pulled the sheet back for her before Bianca could climb in beside her. When the brunette's head hit the pillow, she stared up at Marissa who was watching her with a caring eye._

"_You okay?" She asked. Bianca slid her hand beneath the pillow and nodded. "Good." Marissa twisted her body a little so she could turn out the lamp. Turning back to Bianca, Marissa shifted her body down and under the covers. She turned on her side to face her wife and she could see those features clearly, courtesy of the strong light of the moon coming in through their window. "Good night," Marissa whispered._

"_Good night." Bianca replied. The redhead watched as the brunette simply stared at her. Those eyes seemed to follow her every movement and Marissa was so caught up in them that she hadn't realized that Bianca's hand had wandered toward her and rested on her hip. One she realized it, Marissa looked to it and shifted closer to Bianca and leaned in. She touched her forehead to her wife's and took a deep breath in, closing her eyes. _

_The next morning, Marissa had woken to the sound of her cell phone going off on her side of the bedroom. _

"_Stupid phone." She muttered._

_Before she moved to answer, she realized that there was only a slight change in the position she and Bianca had fallen asleep in; their bodies were now pressed right up against one another. Reluctantly, Marissa had moved away from Bianca's embrace and checked her phone. She was due for a spontaneous meeting in an hour. Setting the phone back down on the night table, she moved to turn around again, but found she couldn't move all that much. Bianca had, somehow, slid closer to her while she was checking her messages. It made Marissa smile and she twisted her body to face Bianca again and brought her closer. Even in her sleep, Bianca reached for Marissa. She leaned down and kissed the brunette's forehead and shoulder before she got out of bed to get ready for the dreaded meeting._

Marissa hadn't realized that she was now sitting in her car in her own driveway. Smiling, she turned the car off, took the bag of groceries that sat in the back seat and made her way into the house.

"Hello?" Marissa hollered as she entered the house. She heard soft footsteps move on the main floor and was greeted by a smirking Miranda.

"Hey Ma."

Marissa smiled and then scrunched her eyebrows. The house was quiet.

"You here alone?"

"Yup!"

"Wh-"

"Aunt Kendall picked up Nathan and Sofia about 15 minutes ago. You agreed to a sleepover last week, remember?"

"Yes, I remember. I was asking about your mom."

"Ah." Miranda said. "Maggie picked her up about an hour and a half ago."

The smile on Marissa's face fell a bit.

"Oh…"

Miranda noticed the look on Marissa's face and sighed.

"Don't worry Ma. She has some stuff to sort out. Better now than later, right?"

Marissa nodded. "You're right… You're right."

"Of course I am," Miranda said as she smiled and raised her eyebrows. She noticed the bags in Marissa's hands and offered to help her with them.

"Oh, yes. Thanks Sweetie."

Marissa handed Miranda the bags. She took them into the kitchen and placed them on the counter. She began to unpack the bags and looked down at the items. She recognized them and started to chuckle.

"Just so you know, I'm going out with Emma tonight."

Marissa looked at Miranda with a confused face.

"Wh-?"

Miranda held up a few food items and started to laugh.

"Mom's favourite foods? Seriously?"

"Oh, shut up!" Marissa said, playfully slapping Miranda's arm as the teenager walked past her.

"I'm leaving soon, so no worries… Just _don't_ tell me the plans 'cause then I may be scarred for life." She grinned as Marissa shook her head in disbelief.

"Umm…did Tammy come by to get her stuff?" Marissa asked. Miranda shook her head.

"Nope! She didn't call to say _when_ she would come by and pack up either."

"Okay, thanks Hun."

Miranda smirked and exited the kitchen. When she got to the stairs, she stopped and a realization hit her. Retracing her steps, she opted to go into the basement instead and headed out the back door from there. She didn't know why, but she was compelled to go into the pool house.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca didn't know why she was feeling the way she was; confused, guilty, and yet, she felt exhilarated, relaxed. And the questions that were mounting within her were enough to keep her wondering.

_Why is Maggie kissing me?_

_Why do I feel this way?_

_Why does this feel familiar?_

_Why does this terrify me?_

_What is Maggie trying to tell me?_

Once she had run out of questions to ask herself, Bianca felt Maggie's mouth move against hers. The rise of the other woman's hand had Bianca thinking one final thought as she felt it land on her face. _This is…different._ Behind closed eyes, Bianca saw so many things.

"_My book…my book, umm…God…heh, I am gonna be so late for class, I don't even know where it is."_

"_Look Maggie. Maggie wait."_

"_Y'know I…I'll catch you after class."_

"_Maggie, we have to talk about what just happened."_

"_Have you looked at the time? Y-you should be at the courthouse right now-"_

"_Maggie, it's okay-"_

"_Y'know, I'll just swing by after."_

…

"_Everything has been so confusing…and I guess that made it impossible for me to see how I feel for you b-"_

"_Well, when did all these feelings of love bubble to the surface for you?"_

"_I, I don't know. I can't pinpoint-"_

"'_Cause you're trying to throw me off! …"_

"_No, that is not-"_

"_You're trying to bring up old memories to make me confused… It's not going to work._

…

"_But there's been a connection with us… I know you've felt it too and…I-I wrote it off as friendship and you wrote it off as a crush… It's gone a __**whole**__ lot deeper than that for me… And maybe…what we have has been the real thing the whole time and-"_

…

"_Look, Greenlee and Reggie told me that Jonathan went after you so I had to come here and find out that you are alright… You're alright."_

…

"_I'm so sorry-"_

"_It's not your fault-"_

"_No, I was horrible to you. And I said a lot of hurtful things. And Jonathan went after you because of me and it's all my fault._

"_Maggie, I'm the one who owes you an apology. Those things that I said to you, about how I feel? I shouldn't have said them. I shouldn't have kissed you._

"_So…then it was all a lie. You said those things to keep me from Jonathan?"_

"_N-no. …Everything I said…was true."_

…

"_I just wanna pick up my stuff and leave. Just pick it up and get outta here, get out of this town for good."_

"_You can… You can leave with me."_

"…_I didn't know. Where…where are you going?"_

"_To Paris. …Cambias Industries had their headquarters there and the Board wants either me or Ethan to have the presence there."_

"_So, it's automatically you?"_

"_Well, there is…the minor detail of Ethan having to jump bail…"_

…

"_Prom night…we were the hottest couple… And…you were so brave…and you danced like no one was watching. I don't even know where you got that from."_

"_I think I got that from you."_

"_Well, I was proud to be your date... And that will stay with me forever…"_

…

"_I know…I know that I am confused…about a lot of things, but one thing I know for sure… I don't wanna be in Pine Valley if you're not here."_

…

"_If I let you walk out of my life, it might be the biggest mistake."_

…

"_If…somewhere down the road, something happens that's great, but if not, I'm cool with that too. We can just be friends."_

"_It's enough for me."_

"_Me too."_

…

Bianca pulled herself away from Maggie abruptly, the flashbacks being too much. _Were they flashbacks?_ _Were those memories?_ As she pulled away, Maggie opened her eyes at the abruptness of the moment. Her eyes were adorned with confusion and noticed the way Bianca's had widened.

"Bianca? Are you okay?"

Bianca brought her fingers to her lips and had tears welling up behind her chocolate eyes. Her brain was a mess, she was so confused and she had so many questions. No…she was definitely _not_ okay.

"Bianca, what is it? Did you remember something?"

The silence was killing Maggie. She tried to get Bianca to look at her.

"Y…yeah." Bianca nodded.

"What was it?"

Bianca tried to look at Maggie, but she couldn't. The guilt was too much. She had felt something the moment Maggie kissed her and she had felt even more when her mind had been flooded with memories she knew were from her past. Bianca muttered one word.

"Us…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda had a hold on the doorknob of the pool house. She prayed that it would be unlocked and her prayers were answered. She pushed the door open and stepped inside. The moment she closed the door behind her, she got a chill. It ran down the course of her spine and caused goosebumps to form on her arms and on the back of her neck. She felt her hairs rise and tried to brush the feeling off. In all honesty, Miranda hadn't the slightest idea or clue as to what she was looking for. She only knew that Tammy was gone and that she still couldn't feel relieved about that fact. There was something about the blonde woman that Miranda just couldn't seem to get her head around and it confused her to no end. Of course their little interaction the previous night had confirmed her belief that Tammy wasn't the sweet, innocent, and naïve woman that she had portrayed herself to be, but Miranda felt that there was more.

Miranda began to sweat and wondered why she had decided to wear a sweater. _I never wear sweaters._ Even so, she had. She stripped herself of it and placed it on the bed that Tammy had occupied for the last 9 months. She started with the desk in the corner of the room. Pulling the drawers open she found nothing, but fashion magazines, research articles, notes from interviews with different models, photographs from a few fashion shows and a few articles that Tammy had written herself.

Moving along, she moved to Tammy's dresser and opened each drawer. She rummaged through them and saw nothing but clothing. The surface of the dresser held various perfumes and photographs of her family and friends. There was even one of Marissa with Sofia and Nathan. _That bitch,_ Miranda thought.

She went to the small table next to the bedside. Once again, she was opening drawers. She saw nothing. A couple of novels and a pair of pajamas. She closed the drawer, but heard a rip coming from beneath the surface of it. Pulling the drawer out, she ducked her head under the compartment and saw a folded piece of paper and a metal rod.

_A map?_

Miranda pulled it out and swallowed the lump in her throat. It was similar to the one she had shown Marissa a couple of months ago. They had been marked in the same areas. She stood up and plopped herself on the bed, but heard a rather large thump coming from underneath it.

Tossing the map aside, Miranda fell to her knees again and looked under the space. She saw a small, wooden box. Pulling it out, she looked at it and saw that it had a lock. She remembered the rod that had also been taped under the drawer. Moving back to it, Miranda reached for the metal piece she saw minutes before. Ripping it from its place she noticed it to be a key and one that looked like it would fit the lock on the box. She crawled to the bed and, where the box sat on said bed, she inserted the key into its rightful place. She turned it twice, waiting to hear a click. When it presented itself to her, Miranda removed the key and, with shaking hands, she opened the lid. Peering into the box, Miranda noticed a black, velvet pouch and a number of letters. Curiosity possessed her and, pulling her sleeves over her hand, she reached for the small bag.

Miranda opened the pouch and turned it over. The small tingling of colliding objects hit the bed and her eyes widened at the sight. Sleeve still over her hand, she picked up one of the items. They looked all too familiar to her. The 3 karat, princess cut diamond in a white gold setting, four prongs was too much of a coincidence. She set it down and picked up the other ring – an eternity band, and looked on the inside at the inscription that she expected to be there. _I'll never forget._ She dropped the ring on the bed beside the other one and stared at them.

_Mom's rings…_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca used the key she was given to walk into the house she had come to call home. And she knew it was her home for longer than two months, but this new feeling that had settled within in her had her questioning everything; the house, the smells they radiated, the sounds and stories the walls heard and knew about, the kids running around…Marissa declaring the way she felt for her… Why was she doubting everything? Could a mere two hours with Maggie and a ton of memories really change her mind about what she was certain of the previous night? Did these new feelings really mean anything to her? Should they mean something to her? Did she _want_ them to mean something? She knew of one thing she wanted at that moment…she needed it.

Bianca wanted…needed to see Marissa.

"Hey you," Marissa said as she stood in the entrance of the kitchen. "Food's almost ready if you're hungry."

Bianca felt everything she had last night. Standing there, Bianca couldn't help but feel completely drawn to Marissa and she didn't know why. Well, she knew, but the fact of the matter remained that she couldn't understand it. She was devoid of her memories of the redhead. Bianca needed to know the difference. After removing her shoes, Bianca moved towards Marissa who wore a soft grin. When she finally got to her, Bianca pulled Marissa to her and wrapped her arms around her waist and brought their lips together momentarily. She pulled away a bit and looked at Marissa.

"Okay," Marissa whispered. Instinctively, Marissa wrapped her arms around Bianca's neck and stood on her toes to even out their heights and to bring them closer. Bianca walked them forward and backed Marissa against the frame of the entry, who felt Bianca tighten her grip and moved her mouth at a more fervent and impassioned pace.

"W-w-w-wait." Marissa said against Bianca's mouth. But Bianca only pressed forward. "Wait!" Marissa said excitedly, smiling and laughing. Bianca pulled away, covering her confusion with a smile to convince Marissa of her well-being.

"What?" Bianca questioned. Marissa reached behind her to take a hold of Bianca's hands. Smiling, Marissa peeled them from her waist and leaned forward slightly to peck Bianca's nose.

"I wanna show you something."

Bianca followed Marissa into the family room where she sat on the couch. The television had shown a blue screen and Marissa picked up the controller and sat beside Bianca. Not knowing how her wife would take what she was about to show her, Marissa decided not to sit too close to her.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Brot had a smile on his face. Earlier in the day, he was forced to let go of Collins as a suspect in Bianca's investigation. An interrogation had been held earlier in the day with the former Chief of Police and Brot had deduced that there was no way Collins could have been involved, in spite of his motive. Even though Collins could very well have been a part of it, he didn't fit the 'female' profile. So he had found himself at a loss, once again, but it had changed quickly.

Mike had _finally_ managed to get his hand on the list of the ten individuals who had purchased the gloves he was looking for. There was only one way to pay for them and that was a credit card. There was absolutely no way anyone carried _that_ much cash around with them to pay for them. He read the list of buyers:

_Thomas Floyd  
>Melanie Henderson<br>Robert Jobs  
>Savannah Mosely<br>Clarissa Monteleone  
>Margherita Staccone<br>Eden Lacoste  
>Emilio Tavez<br>Jennifer Smith  
>Peter Robbins<em>

_Of course the majority of names would be women. Just my luck._ There was a knock on his door.

"C'min!" He shouted.

Miranda Montgomery entered his office and when he saw her, his eyes widened.

"Miranda Montgomery. This is a surprise. What can I do for you?" He asked.

"I might have some evidence for you," she said. Miranda held out the black velvet sac before Brot.

"Have a seat and lemme see what you got."

Miranda walked further into the room, but not before she closed the door behind her. She noticed as Brot motioned his hand to the chairs in front of him. Miranda took a seat and placed the bag on Brot's desk. Opening it, she carefully dumped its contents on the slew of papers in front of him.

"What are those?" He asked.

"_Those_ are my mom's wedding and engagement rings."

"Where did you find these?"

"I'm getting to that. Tamara Hendersen lived in my pool house until last night. She left all of her stuff there and hadn't come for them yet and I know this is a breach of privacy and could get charged, but I don't care. Something didn't feel right so I snooped in her stuff. Found these in a box under her bed. She has to be behind this or at least a part of it."

Brot shook his head.

"That's not possible."

Miranda scrunched her eyebrows, confused.

"Why not?"

"Because we have arrested _everyone_ involved with keeping your mother hostage. We caught every single one of those sons a bitches. The _only_ one left is the one behind all of this. And we have their name, right here." Brot said as he picked up the list of names he had asked for.

"I still don't get it."

"'Tamara Hendersen' is _not_ on this list."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**"Y'know Nate, the camera's ready."**

**"Amra ready?"**

**"Yup!"**

**"Oh-KAY!"**

Marissa looked at Bianca's expression. It had gone from calm, but excited to something Marissa was sure it couldn't be. It shouldn't have been like this. That shouldn't have been the look on Bianca's face when she watched these movies. Guilt? What did she have to feel guilty about? There was barely a trace of happiness on her wife's face and that had Marissa questioning everything. Bianca had come home from spending a couple of hours with Maggie and, even though Marissa didn't like it, she was forced to accept that she was in Bianca's life once more.

_What happened today?_ Marissa thought. Something began to stir in her. Doubt? Fear? Sadness? All of the above? No. She trusted Bianca. She knew she would've told her if something was wrong. She had even kissed her when she walked through the door. But Marissa couldn't shake this feeling. Glancing over to Bianca, Marissa saw that her features had become tenser. She looked at the screen and noticed that a 2-year younger her was holding their son in her arms, showering him with kisses and hugging him tightly.

**"You wanna say something to Momma Binx buddy?" Marissa said on screen. **

**"MOMMA BINX?" Nathan had scurried off to the opposite end of the room and came back clutching something to his chest. He turned it around and flashed a photo. "Dis Momma Binx and dis Nafan." The young toddler smiled, showing off his little teeth and scrunching his nose like a little bunny. **

The photo he flashed to the camera broke Bianca's heart. It was of a 8 month old baby Nathan being held by Bianca. She held him close to her, placing her nose against his cheek as he smiled to the camera.

She hadn't realized it until now, but the lack of circulation in her hand suddenly caused her to look down at it. Bianca had managed to grab Marissa's hand, subtlety, and was now holding on for dear life. The screen went blank as she heard the disc changer whirring. Another video was coming up and Bianca didn't know what to expect. The moment she noticed that a ceremony was going on, her heart stopped. She saw herself and Marissa standing in front of a priest and it seemed like neither knew about or was aware of their surroundings. Bianca watched the two of them interacting, squeezing each other's hands tightly. She felt the phantom of that clasp somehow and noticed that, on video, her lips moved. She made out the 'I love you too,' and heard the minister address her. The Bianca in the video had begun to speak.

**"****Marissa… There are so many things I can promise you…like that I'll be dreaming of you every night, that you'll always be the only one I see and that won't ever change. That what we have isn't some momentary thing or that it'll stop when the mirror says we're older, because I'll never look the other way. You will always make my heart race. I'll never stop trying, I'll never stop trying to catch my breath when I look at you or watch you as you leave. I'll never stop holding your hand or reaching out for you. I'll never stop keeping your gaze. I'll never stop choosing you. I'll never stop loving you… You're my life, my love, my only and I promise that, no matter what, you'll always get my heart racing and these things that I could promise you? I do! I'll never get used to you. This is you and me forever…that'll never change…"**

Bianca watched as Marissa smiled and blushed on screen. Her wife was addressed to say her vows at that moment.

"**How am I supposed to top that?"** Bianca watched herself chuckle. **"When I first told you how I felt about you, you ran, but I also told you, truthfully, how I felt about you. The way you made me feel good and safe and loved and how it all clicked the moment you gave me that music box… I still feel that way and I will for the rest of my life. I promise to always love you and to make you feel, everyday, how you make me feel. With every moment that comes to us and between us, I promise to always find a way back to you. I would never want to be anywhere without you. You asked me to never forget about you when you proposed…and I won't…ever. I can't. I'll never forget."**

Bianca sprung from her spot on the couch.

"I-I can't do this."

Marissa watched as Bianca fled from the family room. Confused, Marissa followed her. She knew something wasn't right and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. She thought they were on their way back. She thought that they were finding their way back to each other, but Marissa could feel the turmoil building the moment they had sat down to watch those videos.

"Bianca!" Marissa called after her. "Wait!"

Bianca stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to look at Marissa, but felt that she couldn't tear her eyes away from the floor. She felt her heart begin to break and twinge behind her chest. Something was different. Things were different. And it all occurred in the span of a few hours.

"Bianca, talk to me, please."

"I-I can't."

Marissa walked closer to her, taking Bianca's hands in her own. The brunette struggled to tear them away from her, but she was failing.

"Yes…you can…" _What happened today?_ That question was haunting Marissa and she was scared to know the answer, but she couldn't help it. She needed to know. "I…I'm gonna ask you one more time and I want you to be honest with me. And anything you say, I'll believe you because you've _always_ been honest with me… Is… You look confused and lost…and beautiful…

_Leave it up to Marissa to slip in a compliment…_

"But lost and you seem to have this guilty look on your face and I can't bear to see you like this. So, please, just tell me… Is this about Maggie?"

Bianca looked at Marissa. She had a look on her face that seemed to confirm the redhead's suspicions. Her conscience-stricken face had given her away in their interaction and Bianca felt Marissa's squeeze on her hands tighten some.

"I know that look, that…that means 'yes'. Okay…look, Bianca. Whatever it is…you can tell me, okay?" Bianca shook her head, no. "Yes…yes." Marissa said, placing a finger under Bianca's chin to lift her gaze up. "Yes…whatever it is, you can tell. I…I can take it, just… Just tell me, please…"

"I kissed Maggie."

o.o.O.O.o.o

Oooooh! Look what I did! …AGAIN!


	19. Conflicted

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Bianca's POV**

The intensity of conversation – good or bad – makes _any_ kind of relationship so damn difficult. The words you choose can make all the difference in the world. Just a simple slip of the tongue or using a single, tiny, insignificant word can easily change your direction in any argument. Something that may have started out as hypothetical became all too real within the span of a few seconds. Some things just need to be said and whether or not they were intentional, they just need to come out. It could be the difference between life and death; happiness and sadness; pleasure and pain. And it's not like you can't see it coming.

But what about the things you thought would be better kept a secret? Deciding not to tell someone to save them from some pain, is that such a bad thing? What they don't know won't hurt them, right? But then there's that slip of the tongue or the guilt that builds inside of you every time you look at them. You can't help but _want _to tell them what's bothering you, but you keep reminding yourself it would only hurt them. So you run…and you keep running until something makes you trip. When you look to see what it was, you realize it was your own feet. You fell because of you, and nothing and no one else. _That_ is when you're hit with the magnitude of your actions. There's no one to blame but yourself for what comes next. And what is that?

Conflict…

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Whoa, whoa," Miranda said. "What are you talking about?"

"Miranda, you _know_ I can't answer that question."

"This is my_ mother's_ case! I _have _to know! I _deserve_ to know! _I'm_ the reason you guys even have a case to investigate! I found her! I was only 17 and I found her! Just _tell_ me!"

Brot regarded Miranda with even more respect now. She wasn't the innocent, naïve and fragile daughter of Bianca Montgomery like this town had been portraying her to be. When she spoke, her voice didn't break, it was strong and assertive. She didn't cry or beg. She didn't even ask. Miranda Montgomery certainly did not beg. She was confident and commanding.

"You've definitely got the Kane spit-fire down packed Miss Montgomery." Brot said.

"It's kind of inherited."

Brot smirked.

"Fine… But what I tell you stays between us. I could lose my job all together if anyone knew what I was about to tell you. But I've gotten close to your family over these past few years, even though your grandmother still doesn't like me."

"You really don't need to be liked by her. She just needs to respect you. Just stand up to her, tell her she's wrong and prove it… Now…what d'ya got?"

"The uh, the necklace you found…you're mom's locket?"

"What about it?"

"We brought it to the lab to be analyzed and found some fibers from a very rare, very expensive pair of gloves. _So_ rare in fact that only 10 people worldwide own a pair of them."

"Which goes back to your list there."

"Exactly."

"And Tammy's not on it."

"Exactly."

"Have you ever heard of an alias, Chief? Or did it ever occur to you that Tammy could've gotten them as a gift from someone?"

Brot smiled.

"You've got the mind of a detective, kid. Ever thought of becoming a cop?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_You know how some people say that the moment they find out something about another person, especially if it's someone they love, if it's something terrible, they don't care because they love them? _

_Those bastards lied._

"Y-…you…kissed…Maggie?" Marissa had barely been able to breathe out the other woman's name.

"W-well…to be fair…she kissed me…"

"'Fair'? What…what part of _this_…_any_ of this is 'fair,' Bianca? _None_ of this is fair…I would know! I'm the…poster-child for things that aren't fair…"

Bianca had been looking at the cold tiles beneath her feet the moment she told Marissa that Maggie had kissed her. She couldn't tear her eyes away from it and look at the woman in front of her, but she knew she was there. Marissa hadn't moved away from her. Her hands were still burning her face and she wished she'd stop. Bianca wished Marissa would stop caring so much, that she would get angry and quit being so terrific.

_Then she wouldn't be Marissa._

"Okay…okay so…she kissed you… She…she kissed you… She kissed you…"

"You said that," Bianca whispered.

"Yeah, well, I'm trying to wrap my head around it." Marissa had finally pulled away from Bianca. "So…she kissed you and… What happened?"

"'_Us?' You remember that?"_

_Bianca nodded as she bit her bottom lip and wrapped her arms around herself._

"_That's…that's great," Maggie said, trying to get closer, but Bianca pulled away immediately. She needed that ounce of space between the two of them._

"_No…no…"_

"'_No?'"_

"_What were we?" Bianca asked again._

"_Bianca, what did you remember?"_

_Bianca sighed and leaned over the wooden banister that overlooked the lake. She felt the cool breeze on her face as the sun shone down on her confused face._

"_I…I remembered you kissing me out of jealousy because I was leaving Pine Valley and because of Lena… I remembered you being angry with me for kissing you because you thought I was trying to confuse you when I found out that Jonathan hit you and I told you that you were wrong because my feelings for you were real." Bianca glanced over at Maggie who was smiling. Her eyes were full of hope. Bianca continued. "And then…you showed up at my place worried because Jonathan had gone after me after you broke up with him for hitting you and I reassured you that my feelings were real…"_

"_What else?" Maggie had managed to take a hold of Bianca's hand and the brunette tried to pull her hand away, but she hadn't been able to release herself from Maggie's clutch._

"_I invited you to come with me to Paris… And you said no, but you were there at my going away party. Gave a little speech about Prom night…about my dancing." Bianca raised an eyebrow and Maggie chuckled. "And then…"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_You caught me on the plane as Miranda and I were ready to take off…" __**Oh my God, Miranda…**__ Bianca thought of her daughter and smiled. _

"_I did." Maggie said._

"_And you were being really sweet, saying that you didn't wanna be in Pine Valley without me and you didn't want to make me any promises, but you weren't closed off to the idea of you and I."_

"_I definitely wasn't… What else?"_

"_That's it… There's nothing after that."_

_Maggie moved forward, grasping Bianca's elbows._

"_There's tons after that!"_

"_Really? Like what?" Bianca asked._

"_We got to Paris and settled down. Miranda was the most beautiful baby and we __**loved**__ watching her grow up. She even considered me like a mom. And you…amazing you…you never pressured me into anything. You were respectful and you made me fall in love with you __**all**__ over again without even trying. And we finally did it…we made it happen, you and me. We had that relationship we wanted. We were __**so**__ in love."_

_Bianca moved away from Maggie and chuckled a bit._

"_Yeah? '__**So**__ in love' huh? So then lemme ask you this Maggie. Where were you when I woke up in the Miranda Centre a few months ago? Why weren't you there?" Maggie looked over to the lake before the two of them. "I mean, you say we were __**so**__ in love and you make it sound like we had this great, amazing relationship full of love and happiness and yet, I'm married to Marissa and you weren't here when I woke up. So, tell me, what happened?"_

_Turning back to Bianca, Maggie sighed._

"_I was in Paris. We __**were**__ happy, Bianca. But we…we grew apart and you moved back to Pine Valley. And when I came back to fight for you, you sent me away. You told me to go back to Paris. You said we'd email and try to work things out, but that never lasted. We tried…you tried, and I definitely tried, but it just…it didn't work."_

"_Okay…so…__**why**__ did you come back?" Bianca asked. Her voice was quiet and she looked down at the space between her and Maggie._

"_Well…well, for you."_

"_For me?" She asked, looking up._

"_Yeah… Look, Bianca, when I got the call from the hospital about you, I had to come back for you. I swear to you that when I got here, I had __**no**__ intention of falling for you again. But…I did…and I can't hold it in anymore. You're…you're just too…compelling in every way…"_

"I…I need to sit down." Marissa said as Bianca finished telling her what had occurred between her and Maggie. Bianca watched as Marissa walked away from her. The agony that filled her heart at that sight had her frozen in her spot, standing in the middle of the hallway. Marissa found an empty space against the wall opposite to Bianca and pressed her back against it before she slid to floor, hitting it as she sat. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, settling her chin on them. "That's all she said? How you two ended?"

"Yeah…that we grew apart."

_Unbelievable! _Marissa did her best not to cry at the moment because she knew Bianca was watching her. She didn't want Bianca feeling forced into doing or saying anything that she didn't mean or felt obliged to say. She tried with everything bit of fight in her to keep the tears forming behind her hazel eyes to keep from falling.

Marissa couldn't understand why this was happening to her. Wasn't she doing everything right?

_I'm understanding_.

_Honest._

_Patient._

_Loving._

_Brave._

_Strong._

_Breathing._

_Hoping._

_Loving…_

She was most definitely loving. She had thought about that word twice. _Loving._ It seemed to encompass every other quality she had within her to be there and to be all she was for Bianca because that's what always got them through everything. In love there's understanding, patience, bravery, strength, a reason to breathe, a reason to hope, and honesty. Marissa felt lost now. She felt conflicted. She didn't know what she should do. It was all so uncertain to her now. For the first time in ten years, the prospect of actually losing Bianca hit her…hard. And it wasn't something she could be certain she could deal with. Even when she found out that Bianca was declared 'dead'… even then, she never felt that she would lose her wife…had lost her wife…

_It had been a long day. Work had been hectic and Nathan and Sofia were asleep. Marissa had briefly passed by AJ's bedroom where she found him, Gabby and Miranda all passed out on his bed, spaced out across the length of it. She was doing her best, but the exhaustion was getting to her entirely. _

_Chief Robert Collins had shown up at the house not two hours before now with Brot in tow, saying that Bianca had been presumed dead and that her case was being closed. The shock had hit Marissa and she hadn't had enough time to process it because of the way their children had reacted to the news. Nathan and Sofia were just over a year old and, while Marissa believed that they couldn't understand the full situation, she knew that they felt a difference fall within their household. Gabby had stomped upstairs and AJ and Miranda had run after her. Kendall had fallen to the floor, only to be followed by Erica. Everyone had been at their place that night and Marissa hadn't had the time to cry for herself. She didn't feel right about it…not at that moment. The only thing she felt was numb, but somehow she was able to walk right over to her babies. Spike was there and he followed her as Marissa walked into the family room to grab Nathan and Sofia. Spike gently grabbed Marissa's wrist and silently asked her if he could help. Nodding, Spike picked up Nathan and carried him up the flight of stairs to his bedroom and Marissa followed close behind him. _

"_Thank you," she said, but her voice was hardly audible. Spike nodded, turned around, and left the bedroom. One at a time, she got the twins ready for bed and settled them into their respectful cribs. She placed the baby monitor in between the two of them and left them alone to sleep. As she walked out of their room, she noticed the one in AJ's room was on. Marissa approached the door and heard the chorus of three different, breaking voices._

"_Is she really dead?" Gabby had asked. The 10 year-old's tears had already fallen._

"_She can't be," AJ said._

_Marissa saw Miranda sniffle and wipe the tears away from her cheeks with her hand._

"_No. She can't be… there's no body. Is there?"_

_Marissa's eyes connected with Gabby's._

"_Mommy!" The young girl shouted. Picking herself up off of the floor, Gabby ran to Marissa who scooped her up and hugged her tightly._

"_Are you guys okay?" She asked. Marissa walked further into the room and, carefully, sat on the floor with AJ and Miranda. Gabby had detached her arms from around Marissa's neck and settled into her lap._

"_I don't know Ma," AJ said. He moved to sit directly beside Marissa. She lifted her arm and wrapped it around her son's shoulders. He leaned sideways and rested his head on his mother's shoulder. Leaning down, Marissa kissed his head. She turned to Miranda, who had also crawled over to sit beside her._

"_How 'bout you?" Marissa brought their foreheads together and noted the tears in the teenager's eyes. Miranda shrugged._

"_It doesn't…__**feel**__ like she's gone." Marissa ran her hand through Miranda's hair._

"_I know…"_

_The four of them sat together on the floor of AJ's room. The amount of time that had passed, Marissa couldn't be sure of. It all had seemed to just stop…stand still, never passing, never coming. But it continued when Jackson Montgomery had come up to tell her that everyone was gone and that he and Erica were now leaving. Marissa had thanked him and told the kids to get ready for bed, that she would be back in a minute. After Marissa had locked up and returned to AJ's room, she found the three of them asleep._

_The house was suddenly silent. Too silent. Marissa walked down the hallway to her and Bianca's bedroom and she turned the light on. It seemed brighter than normal. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she walked to the bed like a zombie. _

_**Bianca's dead.**__ She could hear Collins' voice echo in her head. _

_Marissa stripped herself of her clothing and slipped into the pajamas she usually wore to bed. She stopped momentarily, leaning forward so her hands collided with the surface of the piece of furniture. Her breathing became rapid and her heart raced increased. _

_**Bianca's dead.**_

"_No…no…" Marissa muttered._

_Pulling back the bed sheets, she climbed into their bed, hers and Bianca's and hit the pillow with her head. _

_**Bianca's dead.**_

"_No…no!" _

_**Bianca's dead.**_

_That voice was torturing her. Marissa brought her hands to her eyes and covered them, trying to rid Collins' voice from her memory._

_**Bianca's dead.**_

"_No…she can't be. She isn't."_

_Then everything hit her. The shock had worn off and she was left with nothing but her thoughts. There were no distractions, no one to tell her it would be okay, no one yelling for her because they needed something…there was nothing. _

_**Bianca's dead.**_

_Marissa lifted herself and turned out the lights. Reaching for her cell phone, she grabbed it off of the night table and turned on her side to face the empty space where Bianca had been…where she should be. She scooted closer to the spot and she couldn't still her wife's scent radiating from the pillow. Even with the hundreds of washes these sheets had gone through, Bianca's scent had always managed to remain. Getting out of the bed, Marissa went over to Bianca's side of the dresser and pulled out one of her t-shirts. Taking hers off, Marissa tossed it aside and pulled Bianca's on over her body. She walked, lazily, back to bed and grabbed her phone again. Dialing her voice mail in the darkness, Marissa did what she had for the last 6 months._

_She listened to Bianca's last voice message._

'_Hey Baby! I…I guess you're in a meeting. Just wanted you to know that I'm gonna head over to the cemetery before I come home tonight, okay? Then I wanna pick something up so I should be home around 7:00. This morning was amazing and I've been thinking of you all day. Can't wait to get home to you and the kids. Give them a kiss for me, will you? I love you. Bye.'_

_Marissa sighed. She pressed a button and held the phone close to her._

'_Hey Baby! I…I guess you're in a meeting…'_

It was all so uncertain now…

Bianca was scared…terrified and still remained motionless, standing in the middle of the hallway. She stared at Marissa and noticed the contemplative look on the redhead's face. She didn't know if it was one of pain or thought… Maybe it was a bit of both, but the silence was tormenting the brunette.

"S-…so…what happened after that?" Marissa asked.

Bianca took a deep breath and walked, slowly over to Marissa and kneeled before her.

"She uh…asked me if I would ever consider giving her another chance…"

"And what did you say?"

"I-"

"Nevermind," Marisa had cut Bianca off. "I don't wanna know…"

"She asked me to think about it…"

"And are you?"

"I-…I don't know."

"You 'don't know'?" Marissa asked.

"I'm just…I'm _so_ confused."

"You're confused? How do you think I'm feeling?"

Bianca remained silent. She didn't know what to do. She was faced with an inner battle. If she were honest, she _had_ felt something stir within her when she and Maggie had shared that kiss. But the effect her actions were having on Marissa made her sick. There was a connection to Marissa that clashed with the perception she had on her life. What had begun as a simple, beautiful friendship had spun out of control and resulted in her falling in love with Marissa and, after the events of last night, it seemed it had occurred all over again. But she just couldn't get rid of the emotions she had for Maggie. It was a push and pull for her. There was a fight coming her way and she knew it. There wouldn't be any fists thrown, but her words would definitely cause someone pain. She thought she could run from all of this, that Maggie was just as she remembered her; a friend. But, as her memories dictated, she was so much more than that. That was the moment she took, right before she broke. _Why are things so damn difficult?_ She noticed that Marissa's hands had shifted upwards and covered her eyes. _Is she crying? Please, don't cry._ But the crack in Marissa's voice showed Bianca that her plea was a wasted effort.

"Bianca…please, just tell me what you're thinking…"

Marissa removed her hands from her eyes and lifted her head to look at Bianca. It seemed like only yesterday that Bianca had actually known who Marissa was to her. And Bianca hadn't a doubt in her mind that she loved Marissa. The redhead remembered feeling so strong knowing that Bianca would be with her forever and that knowledge made her feel confident and happy, making her stand so tall before everyone, even Bianca, even though Marissa knew she could never be as tall as the woman she loved so much.

_I'm not giving up._

"What I'm thinking?" Bianca asked. "I don't…I don't know. I'm…I'm all over the place Marissa! I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to hurt Maggie, or the kids. I'm just so…lost and confused and conflicted." Bianca moved her body closer to Marissa. She took the redhead's face in her hands, forcing her hazel eyes, riddled with tears, to look into her brown ones.

"Stop that…okay? Stop thinking about hurting me or hurting Maggie. _You_ have to decide what _you_ want."

"And _all_ I can think of when you look at me like this and say that is that I _don't_ wanna lose you." Bianca said. She moved closer, still, to Marissa and peeled the redhead away from the wall towards her, holding her close and leaning her head against hers. "I can't lose you. You're the only true thing I have…and I'm in love with you. I am!"

Marissa's tears flowed freely now. She couldn't hold them back anymore. It was impossible now and she was at the point of no return. Bianca had said the words she had been dying to hear the last 3 years and even more so in the last 2 months.

"Okay…then…why Maggie?" Marissa said, pulling away from Bianca. "I…I'm not trying to hurt you. I love you_ so_ much, it hurts and I want nothing more than to be with you from now until the end of forever, but if you're not happy, then I don't want that."

"I told you…I _felt_ something when Maggie kissed me and I don't know what that is."

"And you need to find out, right?"

Marissa tried to move away from Bianca to avoid contact, but Bianca wouldn't have it. She had to have that connection to Marissa.

"I need to know why…yes."

Marissa looked down. She remembered the way Bianca's arms felt around her – whether it was the way they held her while watching a movie or snuggling in bed together, trying to fall asleep after a long day. That was when everything was right for her, but now? Marissa felt like her heart was hanging by a thread, waiting for the fragile line to snap and have her heart fall into pieces. Now, Marissa cried. To everyone else, she seemed so strong, so together, but inside, she was breaking, if not already broken. It made her cry, thinking that she could lose Bianca. When she cried, her eyes remained shut, not wanting to see anything that could distract her from the pain. Her hands would barely hold up her head from feeling so weak. Thinking about _why_ she would lose Bianca made Marissa nauseous. This thought, losing one of the most important things to her, the one she was so intensely, fiercely, fervently, passionately in love with, made her feel like her soul was slipping away. She felt her hope was disintegrating. But she held onto what she could and took a deep, shaky breath.

"Okay I…I've asked you this already…last night, actually and you said no before I could…even finish the question and I want you to answer it again." Marissa said. She looked, finally, into Bianca's eyes and saw the apprehension that resided within her irises.

"O-okay…"

"Do you want to be with Maggie?"

"I…" Bianca sighed.

"Wow…" Marissa said. "Your uh…your silence is loud."

"No, Marissa-"

"No, it's uh… I'm going about this the wrong way. Look, I'm not trying to pressure you Bianca. I'm actually trying to make things easier."

"What part of this is easy, Marissa?"

"None of it, which is why I'm _trying_. The _only_ thing I _want_ is for you to be happy and if you tell me that Maggie's the one who will make you happy then… Do… Do you want a divorce?"

"Mariss-"

"You don't have to explain it or justify it... I'm not going to try to…trap you because we have kids or because we're married. I love you too much to do that. Just give me an honest, yes or no." Marissa noticed the pain and anguish that had formed on Bianca's face. The brunette was coming close to her again. "I just want you to be happy and if you tell me that you don't know, then I should tell you that Maggie's going to be in for the fight of her life. If you tell me that you could be happy with me again, if you tell me that it's me you want then you better believe that I will _never_ give you up. I swear it on _everything_ that means anything to me. I promised you to love you for the rest of my life," Marissa said. The both of them were crying now, knowing that there was so much more to say. "And I promised to make you feel the way you made me feel everyday. And I promised that no matter what came between us that we'd find our way back to each other. It has to be something _you_ want too though."

Bianca stayed silent, just staring at Marissa. She had a choice to make: Marissa or Maggie? _But I didn't think of Maggie the whole time, so why is a part of me latching onto her?_ Bianca looked at Marissa. She appeared so fragile. The magnetization, the pull she felt when she was near the redhead was taking over her again. Bianca placed a tender hand on Marissa's face, which caused her to look up at her wife with tear-glistened eyes and dampened cheeks. She lifted her hand to cover Bianca's and stared into her shadowed eyes. Bianca leaned forward, grazing her nose with Marissa's. She tried to move her head away from Bianca, not needing any more confusion to pass between them, but that had failed. Marissa swallowed the lump in throat and waited for Bianca's lips to connect with hers.

But it never came.

They were brought out of their moment by the telephone ringing. Marissa shot up from the floor and ran to remove the phone from the jack.

"Hello?"

Bianca watched as Marissa spoke to whoever was on the other end of the receiver. She felt frustrated: frustrated with herself, with Maggie, with her brain, her doctors, the one who destroyed her life. She wanted it back, she wanted all of it back. She couldn't understand why she couldn't entirely abandon all thoughts of Maggie. Was there more she had to discover? Is that the reason why she couldn't let Maggie go? Or was it that the feelings she held for Maggie were supposed to always be there…had always been there? _No. That can't be it._ She wanted to let go. But she couldn't. These thoughts and questions made her head spin and she wanted to shut them off.

"Uh…that was Miranda… She said she's gonna stay at AJ's tonight and be back tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh…okay…"

Marissa looked around her and listened to the silence. She took a deep breath and clasped her hands together before she walked over to Bianca. She pulled her wife towards her and hugged her tightly, wrapping her arms around Bianca's neck. She was shocked, but Bianca didn't let that affect her actions. Instantly, she wrapped her arms around Marissa's waist and let her fingers slip onto the exposed flesh that had appeared as Marissa's shirt lifted a bit when she reached for Bianca. The brunette pulled the redhead closer to her, pressing their bodies together firmly, not wanting to let go. Marissa closed her eyes as she rested her chin on Bianca's shoulder and buried her nose into the brunette's neck. She smelled her and a sudden calm fell over her. The familiar scent that Bianca emitted had come back and it infiltrated Marissa's senses. She released a warm breath and couldn't help but press a small kiss on the spot that her breath hit. She could hear the hitching inhalation coming from Bianca. As this occurred, Marissa lifted herself further upwards and further into her wife's body and whispered into her ear.

"I won't give up on you… I love you… Good night."

-o.o.O.O.o.o-

PROBABLY the MOST difficult chapter I've ever had to write. I hope you all liked it.

Ciao!


	20. Fire

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Miranda's POV**

"_Some say the world will end in fire,  
>Some say in ice.<br>From what I've tasted of desire  
>I hold with those who favor fire.<br>But if it had to perish twice,  
>I think I know enough of hate<br>To say that for destruction  
>Ice is also great<br>And would suffice."_

_**-Robert Frost**_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

In sleep, your conscious sleeps and the subconscious wakens. For Marissa Tasker-Montgomery, things seemed to be heightened. The smell of fallen ash penetrated her nostrils as if the live, burning embers were flaring directly under her nose. As she inhaled, she could feel nothing but the stiff, thick, black fog being taken into her lungs and, at the contact, she coughed wildly. The way she convulsed at the suffocating feeling that gripped her body had the redhead writhing to the point that the adrenaline was becoming too much. The speed of her heart rate doubled, which caused the contraction of her muscles to overdrive her body with heat. Once she finally regained control of her breathing, Marissa found that her convulsions from her hacking had transformed into small shivers. The heat coming from her body was much warmer than the air that surrounded her. It felt like a fever and even the warm hand that rested on her hip beneath the sheets of the bed, that was usually capable of heating her body in multiple ways, wasn't enough to keep her from trembling.

Marissa tried to calm herself, stop the shaking that seemed to be consuming her, but once she felt the hand on her hip begin to make it's way up and down the side of her body, from the dip of her waist to the outside of her thigh, she shot her eyes open.

_Not again_.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**One month earlier**

"Mom?"

Bianca's head had shot up at the sound. She looked to the entrance of the family room where Miranda stood, smiling.

"Sorry. Is that still too weird for you or-"

"Not at all! I told you that." Bianca said. She patted the spot beside her, motioning for her daughter to come sit by her. Miranda walked over to her mom and say right beside her on the couch. Hesitantly, Bianca stretched an arm out to Miranda and pulled her to her. The younger Montgomery hadn't paused for a second the moment she saw her mother's action. Miranda sat close to Bianca and allowed herself to just sit there with her mom. It hadn't been this way in years and Miranda had seen a lot of changes in Bianca over the last week. The start, she wasn't as reserved around the Miranda Centre as she used to be. Bianca had become more open and interactive with everyone. It had taken her a while to realize that the Miranda Centre was, in fact, her own organization, but Miranda understood what it meant when your memory was trying to recover. Things get scattered into a disarray of separate moments, even though they all connect in some cryptic way. Earlier in the week, when Miranda had come home after her night of visiting Brot at the Police Station, she could sense a difference the moment she walked in. Bianca had been completely honest with her; about Maggie, how she felt, and what it meant to her to figure everything out. They had a small argument and what Miranda said really got to Bianca.

"_I don't expect you to understand."_

"_Good! Because I don't! I can't!" Miranda said firmly. Her head was pounding at what she had just discovered. Marissa had gone to pick up Sofia and Nathan at Kendall's. She had invited Bianca to go with her, but the brunette felt it only right to tell Miranda about Maggie and what she had remembered. Bianca watched as her daughter's face went from excited to shocked to a look that was devoid of expression. Bianca couldn't tell if it was anger, sadness, or disappointment… Maybe a little bit of each to twist Miranda's beautiful soft features into hard, defined shapes. "Look…I'm sorry that I lashed out like that and I get that you're going to feel __**something**__ for Maggie. You loved her once and maybe a part of you always will, at the least the part that refuses to forget the good things. But I have to ask you, what happens when you remember the other women you forgot?" Bianca remained motionless as she watched her teenager's face turn from contemplative to affectionate. "I mean…you still haven't remembered Reese and she's the reason Gabby's here…well…you get what I mean. You were __**married**__ to her so tell me, what happens when you remember your relationship with her? You gonna call her up and tell her to come to Pine Valley? Mom, I was there for all of them and-"_

"_What did you call me?"_

"_What?" Miranda asked._

"_You just…called me 'Mom'."_

_Miranda sighed._

"_Sorry, slip of the tongue."_

_Bianca shook her head._

"_No. Don't be sorry… Could you say that again?"_

"_Mom…" She said slowly._

_She watched as her mother chuckled lightly._

"_Not gonna lie…that sounds a little weird. But amazing."_

Bianca just sat there with Miranda, thinking about that argument. Completely unaware, she had tightened her grip on her daughter as she remembered what she had told her earlier that week. _"What happens when you remember the other women you forgot?... You gonna call her up and tell her to come to Pine Valley?" _

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Brot had looked over every single piece of information he had. Majority of it had pointed to Tamara Hendersen except for the gloves. That was the missing piece he had been looking for, but when he went to place it into the puzzle, it just didn't fit in with the rest of the pieces. He had quite the conversation with Miranda Montgomery a few nights ago and had been looking into Tamara Hendersen's past, but thus far, it had only come up empty. That was, until he received a bit of information that revealed her criminal history with credit card fraud in 2019. It was all he had to go on. Unfortunately, the card she had been found in possession with didn't match any of the people on his list.

Frustrated, Brot had decided to visit the archives in the basement of the station. While they had every case backed up on the system, the printed the cases that were closed and filed them away. As he entered the area, he found that it was empty of individuals. He looked at his watch. It was just after 1:15 PM meaning they were on their lunch. _No problem, I'll just look for it myself._ Walking further amongst the multitude of shelves and cabinets the place had to offer; Brot came upon the section he had been looking for. Opening the black filing cabinet, he searched for the case number he had on file and pulled it from its slot.

Brot opened it and followed the pages, looking for something that could give him any more information than he already had. While reading the case file, he had discovered that Ms. Hendersen had only spent a few days in jail before being acquitted of the charges. _What?_ He asked himself. _Credit card fraud is worth much more time than that. What the hell?_ Brot looked down at the arresting officer and the officer who had signed to Tammy's release.

_Son of a bitch!_

Brot closed the cabinet and locked it up. He took it with him and when he returned to his desk, he ran immediately to his phone.

"Yeah, Morris. Do me a favour? Get former Chief Collins on the phone. That bastard's gonna get it from me!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

AJ had arrived at his former home. He put his car in park and killed the engine before his cell phone began to ring. Looking at the caller ID, he noticed the _Private._ Sighing, AJ answered it.

"Hello?"

"AJ?"

AJ stopped himself from exiting the car when he heard the voice on the other end. He found himself numb, unable to move and surprised.

"D…dad?" He heard the sigh of relief from JR. "What…why are you calling me?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you for a bit. I don't have too much time. And I just…I wanted to talk to you."

"So talk… Doesn't mean I'm listening though."

AJ could hear the distress in his father's sigh. He didn't know if it was out of defeat or anger. He wouldn't put it past JR to be angry at his hostility. However, AJ was fed up. He had tried to make amends with his father, this time because he wanted it and not because his mother had. When both opportunities presented themselves to JR, AJ found that his father had resorted to his old, familiar ways, in spite of his sobriety.

"Look, AJ. I know…I know you're upset with me-"

"'Upset'? 'Upset'? 'Upset' doesn't even _begin_ to cover it!"

"Okay…okay… You couldn't care less if you never saw me ever again, but _that_ doesn't stop me from loving you. You're my son and you always will be and I'm always gonna try. I swear I'll be better okay?"

"You 'swear'? What does that even mean to you? _Every_ time I came to see you to try to work things out you _always_ did something to make me doubt you! History isn't exactly on your side Dad so, tell me, _why_ should I believe anything you say?"

"Because, believe it or not, I _am_ gonna be back in your life AJ and soon." JR said softly. He tried his best not to sound forceful because he knew his son wouldn't respond too well. If he were honest, he truly did want to get things back on track with his son, even though he was still hurt by everything,

"Not if I can help it. G'bye Dad."

"Wait-wait! AJ."

"What?"

"I just…want you to know…they moved up my parole hearing."

"To when?"

"Two days…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"So uh…have you had any more uh…"

"Memories?" Bianca asked with a smile.

"Yeah. Sorry, I don't mean to pry or anything-"

"You _really_ need to stop apologizing. It's okay to ask questions, be curious."

Miranda chuckled.

"It's not my curiosity I'm worried about…" She said as she sat up from her mother's embrace. Facing Bianca, she continued. "It's my insensitivity."

Bianca smiled and scoffed playfully.

"'Insensitivity?' Honey, you're _not_ insensitive. You're concerned for me. I get that. Don't worry about it. And to answer your question, I dreamt about Reese last night…again."

Not two days after Miranda had mentioned Reese, Bianca had begun to have a series of dreams about the woman. She found it all amusingly ironic that the moment Miranda mentioned her, the switch in her brain had gone on and more memories seemed to be flooding in. However, they weren't the ones she was seeking. A few hours after her argument with Miranda, Bianca had flashed to the moment she and Reese met. Looking over the woman who had been hit in the head on her daughter's account. Throughout the last couple of days, she also remembered their first date, deciding to have Gabrielle together and asking Zach to be their donor, Reese's proposal, their wedding and the moment she had decided to forgive Reese for kissing Zach the night before the ceremony.

"Oh yeah?" Miranda asked. "What about this time?"

Bianca took a deep breath. She remembered the dream and the way she felt when she woke up from it. She felt anger, hatred, frustration, confusion – things she never thought she could feel so much for one individual…other than Michael Cambias, even though the extent of these feelings were not even in the same league as the man who had made her feel worthless and weak. She could still hear the words of everyone in that memory, their voices like a chorus to a bad song.

"_I don't think Reese's lawyer is negotiating in good faith."_

…

"_Can I just ask you something. Why is Reese suddenly showing up now?"_

"_Because there are-thare are things that need to be discussed in person."_

"_I'm sorry, I didn't wanna make this harder. I'm just asking you to consider the idea that Reese might have another agenda other than 'family time' in Paris."_

…

"_You listen to me. Those girls are not taking one step with you."_

…

"_Bianca, his is a classic 'bait and switch.' They take the kids back to Paris where Reese has physical custody of them then have the custody trial there. This is __**not**__ going to happen."_

…

"_I'm sorry. You were so right."_

"_No, I'm just glad that we were able to head them off."_

"…_Thank you."_

"_I assume you'll be wanting to retain Jack as your lawyer."_

"_Uhh, which I would be happy to do, but in talking to uh, Marissa here on the way over, she has a __**very**__ good handle on this case."_

"_Well I would…be afraid to ask after I've been so awful."_

"_Oh you don't have to ask. I'd be happy to do it… If that's what you want."_

Bianca smiled at remembering Marissa's last words. _Must be her catch phrase or something._ Marissa had told her that there was a case that she had helped her with. That she had gone to the lawyer for legal advice. _That must have been it._

"It was the time that Reese's lawyer and a nanny of some sort were gonna take you and Gabby to Paris. They showed up at Krystal's and tried to convince me to take you two with them."

Miranda smirked.

"Ahh…yeah then came Marissa to the rescue."

Bianca furrowed her eyebrows.

"Marissa?"

"Y-yeah. She was the one who went to Uncle Jack to help you deal with the two morons who thought they could get away with taking me and Gabz to Paris."

"She did?"

Miranda nodded.

"Yup! And I only told you that because Griff _finally_ gave us the okay to tell you everything. Thank God." She noted the time. "And I, actually, have to get going. Told Krystal I would cover for her at the restaurant this afternoon so she can spend some time off instead of always working." She watched as her mother's smile grew even wider. "What?" Miranda asked.

"Nothing. Have a good day, okay?"

Miranda nodded and leaned down to hug Bianca before saying goodbye. At the sound of the door closing, Bianca released the breath she didn't know she was holding and slunk down into the comfort of the leather couch. She was no longer paying attention to the Three Stooges rerun that played out before her. Her mind had drifted off seeing what her eyes couldn't, but felt as if she were staring directly at it.

Bianca had spent almost every night with Maggie, but nothing had changed. No new memories had come to her about the other woman and it frustrated Bianca to no end. Maggie never pressured Bianca into telling her what her decision was. Maggie was doing her best to be patient and Bianca could see that. She could tell that her self-restraint was growing weary. Every so often, Bianca found that Maggie would grab a hold of her hand and squeeze it, as if to let Bianca know that she was still there and wasn't going anywhere. Casually, Maggie would bring Bianca's hand to her lips and kiss it gently. It stirred something inside Bianca, but a part of her felt odd about it. Anytime Maggie attempted to be affectionate with Bianca, the brunette's mind would automatically go to Marissa. Her face – the way her smile seemed to make everything brighter; the way her eyes twinkled in the light, but grew very dark the minute she was close to Bianca; the way her eyebrows would rise in astonishment at something Bianca or the kids had said. No matter what happened with Maggie, Bianca found herself longing for Marissa. However, she constantly found herself drawn to Maggie. All the signs were there for Bianca: Marissa was all she could think about, so the decision should be easy. But it wasn't. _Why can't this be cut and dry? _

The last time Bianca had kissed or even touched Marissa was a week ago…exactly one week ago. She had never felt so terrible in her life. The pain and torture she had gone through while being held against her will for three years couldn't amount to the scars she and Marissa had left on one another that night. The instant Marissa had said good night to Bianca, she found herself reaching out for the redhead.

"_No, wait."_

_Marissa looked down at the way Bainca's hand held onto her wrist._

"_Bianca, please. I'm tired. Let me go."_

"_Wait…I…I wanna say something."_

_Marissa turned around to face Bianca and stood still. _

"_Okay…look I uh…I know that I don't have the right to ask, but can you please, for a moment, just put yourself in my shoes? I know so little about you and what you truly mean to me. I'm trying __**so**__ hard to remember, but something just isn't working up here," she said, pointing to her head. Bianca took a step forward and reached outwards for Marissa and took a hold of her waist, pulling them close to each other. She recognized that Marissa didn't fight her. "But you shouldn't have to fight for me. You don't deserve that. You deserve more… You deserve so much better than that and-"_

_Marissa put her thumb pad to Bianca's bottom lip, silencing her instantly._

"_Don't say that," Marissa whispered. She lifted her other hand and rested it on Bianca's neck, pulling her closer and letting their foreheads support each other. "There isn't more… There isn't better than you. I know that. You're it for me and even if it kills me, I will make sure that you never forget that. Don't you __**dare**__ try to push me away, not again."_

"_I wasn't trying to push you away. I was just trying to tell you that if it came down to it that you wanted to give up-" _

"_There you go again. I __**won't**__ give up." Marissa took a hold of Bianca's right hand and held it to her heart. Bianca could feel the speedy thump of the most fragile and vital organ of the human body. "Feel that? Feel how fast it's beating? That's because of you. We've come so far to be here. I know you need your space to figure everything out, so I'm gonna be here, no matter how rough it gets. We're worth it…you're worth it: the wait, the fight, all of it. I know what I have and I'm not giving that up for anyone."_

_Bianca couldn't help it. Her tears fell and she felt the pounding of Marissa's heart become stronger and faster. Letting out a whimper from trying to keep her tears under control, Bianca rushed forward and captured Marissa's lips with her own. She held her tightly, afraid that she would be the one to vanish this time. With one arm around Marissa's waist and her hand pressed firmly on the redhead's back, it hit Bianca that kissing Marissa made her feel…sentient. Their kiss turned into a fine frenzy of feverish and arduous breaths in an amatory embrace. Marissa cupped Bianca's face in her hands and pulled away, unwillingly. _

"_Wait-wait-wait…" Marissa whispered against Bianca's lips. "Bianca…" Bianca held on a bit longer, latched onto Marissa's kiss before she finally let go and pulled her closer even more, not that it was possible. "Slow down for a second okay?" Marissa continued to whisper. Bianca had yet to stop crying, even though it was silently._

"_God… This… Why can't this be easy?" Bianca said just as quietly as Marissa had spoken. They both had their eyes closed, simply feeling and holding one another while listening to their voices infiltrate their ears,_

"_I wish I knew…"_

Bianca shook herself from the memory. She could still feel Marissa's breath on her lips, her taste in her mouth and soft, velvety sound of her voice trying to reassure her. After that night, things had begun to be torturous for Bianca. The sun seemed to be less brighter, waking up and getting out of bed was a chore, and seeing Marissa day after day perched on the same spot in the kitchen and not being able to reach out for her without the awkward tension was all the more difficult. What bothered Bianca, as well, was that she was only able to watch Marissa. Bianca wanted things to be different for the two of them – she wanted to hold Marissa and sleep next to her. She wanted to wake up to her, smiling every morning and kiss her good night before she fell asleep. She looked back on her time away from this house, away from her kids, away from Marissa and, even though she thought she was in love with Lena through all of it, it seemed Marissa had, somehow, clawed her way into her mind. She had remained constant in the memories that were hidden from her. She felt all of it – every touch, every kiss, every gaze and she still wanted it.

_So why don't you have it?_

"Oh my God," Bianca said to herself. Reaching for her cell phone on the coffee table in front of her, she opened her phone to her text messages to compose a new one.

_I need to talk to you. Can we meet later?_

Bianca sent her message into the virtual world, waiting for Maggie to answer. Once the little _ping_ from her speaker notified her, she looked down at the message.

_Sure thing. I'll pick you up at 7:00_.

"Hello?"

Bianca jumped from her spot on the couch at the sound of Marissa's voice echoing throughout the house. Exiting the family room, the brunette watched as the redhead removed her shoes and dropped her briefcase by the door, while rotating her neck. She noticed that she held a single long-stemmed red rose in her hand.

"Hey you," Bianca said. Marissa stopped what she was doing and looked at her wife. She smiled and walked towards her, twirling the flower between her fingers.

"Hi." She replied. "How was your day?"

"It was good. How was court?"

Marissa shrugged.

"Everything's to be settled on Monday. The kids?"

"Sofia and Nathan are upstairs napping. They went down about half an hour ago. I think I wore them out this morning."

Marissa laughed lightly.

"Yeah. They can be full of energy. But it's tough on their mom…" Marissa waited for a reaction she never got and continued. "Which is why, I believe, this is in order." Marissa finished as she held out the red rose to her wife.

"Thank you," she said as she watched Marissa take a hold of her neck again. "Are you okay?"

"Just a little…knotted."

Bianca took Marissa's hand and led her into the family room. She placed her rose on the table and turned to Marissa.

"Take your jacket off."

Marissa did as she was told and watched when Bianca hopped onto the couch behind her. The brunette rested her legs on either side of her and brought her warm, soft hands to the area of her neck where Marissa had previously been rubbing. The lawyer had fallen prey to Bianca's treatment as she began to apply the perfect amount of pressure to the unkempt area of her neck that had been bothering her all day. The touch of Bianca's fingertips was causing a kindling in Marissa to set fire to the rest of her body. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip to keep from doing anything. Scrunching her eyebrows and balling her hands into fists to focus on anything else but the woman who sat directly behind her caused her hands to go white and numb. She took a deep breath and, before she knew what she was doing, Marissa lifted her hand to stop Bianca's, covering it. She shifted her body and turned it a bit so capture Bianca's gaze with her own. And when Marissa spoke, it was in a soft tone that Bianca felt helpless before.

"Wh…what are you doing tonight?"

Bianca blinked multiple times, trying to calm herself.

"Uh…I uh…I got plans to meet up with Maggie later." While difficult to breathe, Bianca found that she could still think. _Should I tell her now? …No. Wait until everything is sorted with Maggie first… But that look…_

"Oh… Oh, okay." Marissa said, tearing her eyes away from Bianca's to look to the floor, only to be stopped by her wife's hand directing her chin back upwards.

"But I'm _all_ yours tomorrow."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"So nice of you to join us again _Mr._ Collins." Brot stated rather sarcastically. He was upset and frustrated. And due to these feelings of infuriation, Brot slapped down the files he had in his hand, startling the former Chief of Police.

"What's gotten you riled up?"

"Oh _plenty_ these days! I've got a case that can't be cracked because the pieces fit together, but they don't. I had a look into the past…particularly your ex-wife's. Now tell me Collins, just _how_ many times in the past has your former wife been involved with the Pine Valley Police Department? Because I have a statement here," Brot said, pulling out a piece of paper and sliding it over to Robert Collins. "That _you_ were the one who pulled the plug on her jail sentence for credit card fraud a little while back. I also have evidence here that _you_ gave her a job in the archives – one day a week, but let's not focus too much on that. The point is, is that she had easy access to any case file she wanted and could have easily erased hers from the hard drives and taken her own hard copy. So, I want you to give me a straight answer here Collins. How many other times were there that your ex-wife was caught using someone else's credit card?"

"Only one other time…" Collins said, shock written on his face.

"And what was that individual's name?"

"Den Lcst…" He muttered.

"I'm sorry?" Brot asked, holding his hand to his ear as he bent over the table. "Who was that?"

"Eden Lacoste."

Brot looked down at a list of names in front of him and, sure enough, Eden Lacoste was listed.

"And when did this occur?" He asked, sitting down.

"In Paris, about 5 years ago. I took her there for fashion week. She adored the experience. Erica Kane had invited me and I asked if I could bring my wife along. Of course it took me a lot of kissing Ms. Kane's ass to get her to agree, but she did. Tammy came back with a pair of _really_ expensive gloves. When I asked her how she paid for them, she brushed it off and that was that. You can't accuse Tammy of everything, otherwise she lashes out…irrationally. We got home and next thing I know, she's getting arrested…again…for the same shit."

"Thank you, Mr. Collins."

Robert Collins moved to get up, but the current Chief stopped him.

"Just one more question and this time, don't bullshit me. Honest answer. _Why_ did you close Bianca Montgomery's case?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda had gotten home about an hour ago. When she arrived, she found AJ playing with Nathan and Sofia. The three of them had moved upstairs to their bedroom so that she could rest. Miranda had fallen asleep on the couch with the television off and the house was quiet, save for the loud giggles coming from her twin siblings every so often. She had caught Marissa as she was leaving the house to go to dinner with Kendall. It was something the two of them would do every few months. It had started when Bianca had gone missing and they decided to continue to do it. They had originally planned it for the following evening, but after seeing the smile on Marissa's face when Miranda got home told the teenager that those plans would have to either be move up or bumped to another day the following week. As she watched her mother leave, Marissa had yelled over her shoulder that Bianca was in the basement and was to go out with Maggie at 7:00. Miranda scoffed, not too excited about the idea, but shrugged it off.

She wasn't going to complain.

Miranda knew of very little when she slept. Her mind seemed to open up more and her good friend Puck would often come to take her off to the land that Shakespeare spoke of in a Midsummer Night's Dream. She was very familiar with the play. Puck, a servant to Oberon, King of the fairies, is sent to pluck a flower which juices make people fall in love with the first person they see. Everything goes awry when Puck doesn't anticipate the consequences of his actions, sending everything into a chaotic comedic game of tag between individuals who claim to love a different person other than who they are supposed to. Puck himself states that he is 'that merry wanderer of the night.' She found Puck's journey to be symbolic of the chaos that roams around in our dreams, making no sense at the moment. It brings confusion and disorder. However once morning comes and our eyes open, we go back to what we remember, what we know to be true…even if, somehow, those dreams we delight in may be just as real in the world as in our minds.

The air that fills Miranda's lungs isn't what she remembers however. As she opened her eyes, she found herself distraught. The lights have gone out and were replaced by an inferno of smoking and white, hot flames. A pain consumed her upper left arm and when she looked down at it, she found the flames had caught onto her t-shirt. They were consuming the fabric and chewing at her flesh. She beat it out and winced, shouting at the pain in the process. Her lungs were filling with smoke and fast.

_What the hell?_

She looked around and did everything she could to stay calm. She couldn't see where the fire had originated from, but she wasn't going to waist any time thinking about it. _Nathan, Sofia, AJ… _There was a line of fire blocking the way out of the family room. She closed her eyes and covered her face as she ran through the flames and made sure to keep her shirt close to her body. The stairs were still in tact, but the fog from the smoke was beginning to rise and fast. As she looked to the basement, she saw that they had already been burning it. _Shit!_ Miranda took off for the step and ran as fast as she could. Upon arriving at her sibling's bedroom, she found the three of them asleep on the floor. She kneeled to AJ and shook him awake.

"AJ! WAKE UP! C'MON!"

"What the hell is wrong with y-?"

AJ peered outside of the door and caught a clear view of the stairwell. The shadows from the light of the wildfire on the floor below them shut him right up. He grabbed his phone and dialed the emergency line. Miranda scooped a sleeping Sofia into her arms and waited for AJ to hang up his cell phone.

"WHAT THE HELL? WE'RE BURNING AND YOU'RE CALLING THE COPS? YOU COULDN'T WAIT UNTIL WE WERE SAFE?"

"SORRY! IT'S THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT OF!"

"JUST GRAB NATHAN AND LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!"

AJ did as Miranda suggested and picked Nathan up. The two of them ran down the hallway and stopped at the top of the steps, the fire was moments away from attacking the beginning of the staircase. AJ and Miranda looked at each other and nodded. Miranda walked down the stairs first, as quickly, yet as stealth as she possibly could. Sofia had woken up and began to scream in fear.

"No no! Fia, you need to stay calm okay? We're gonna get out of here. Okay?"

Sofia only nodded and Miranda directed the young girl's head into her shoulder and continued down the stairs. AJ followed behind the two of them with Nathan who had overheard his older sister and followed suit. He hid his face into AJ's chest and when they reached the landing, they could hear the whirring of the electricity beginning to give way. It started a new spark, causing a pressure to build up within the walls of the kitchen. Miranda and AJ dropped to the floor fast, on their backs and then rolled over, face down to protect their brother and sisters. The sound of glass shattering above them with the mixture of an explosion had them breathing heavily and when the sound ceased to exist, Miranda looked up and tapped AJ's shoulder. The window to the back door had shattered. AJ stood and unlocked the front door and raced outside to the fresh air. As he turned around, Miranda was right behind him carrying Sofia.

"What the hell happened?" AJ said as soon as the four of them were perched on the lawn in front of their house.

"I dunno! I woke up and there it was!"

A car was coming into the driveway and through the glass of the windshield, a very frightened looking Marissa exited the car.

"OH MY GOD!" She yelled and ran to the kids. "Wh-are you?"

"Yeah, Ma we're fine."

Miranda's face turned white as she saw another vehicle drive up to the house. She recognized it as Maggie, except the passenger seat was empty. Looking down at her watch, Miranda noticed that it was almost 8:30 PM. Marissa followed Miranda's gaze to Maggie's car. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized that Maggie's arrival didn't signify a drop-off, but a pick-up. Maggie exited the car and looked up at the once beautiful colonial house crumbling under the burning embers.

"AND WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU UNTIL NOW?" Marissa yelled to Maggie as she realized that Bianca was in the house still.

Miranda watched as Marissa took off in a sprint that could defy the laws of nature; as she took off in a sprint to save the one constant and the one love that defied chance, heartbreak and even death.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**Miranda's POV**

"_Some say the world will end in fire,  
>Some say in ice.<br>From what I've tasted of desire  
>I hold with those who favor fire."<em>

Fire – one of the original four elements of the earth.  
>Fire – the escort of destruction.<br>Fire – the symbol of chaos and war.  
>Fire – burns everything, leaving but nothing but fragments of things that once were.<br>Fire – an expression of determination or strong desire…

o.o.O.O.o.o

I hope you enjoyed. SO much more to come! Did things a little differently this time around. What did you think?


	21. Ice

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Miranda's POV**

_"__Some say the world will end in fire,  
>Some say in ice.<br>From what I've tasted of desire  
>I hold with those who favor fire.<br>But if it had to perish twice,  
>I think I know enough of hate<br>To say that for destruction, ice  
>Is also great<br>And would suffice."_

_**-Robert Frost**_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

In the world there are secrets and lies. They are often used interchangeably; people mistaken secrets for lies though. The problem is, is that a secret isn't a lie, technically…at least, not until someone asks the individual about the secret or if there is a secret at all. At that point, is the secret still a lie? No. The lie is situated the simple yes or no that answers questions such as "is it about me?" or it is present in the 'secret' told to cover up the real secret. Brot knew this much, which is exactly why he would refuse to believe Robert Collins former reply to his question: _"a higher up told me to close it."_

"Honest answer. _Why_ did you close Bianca Montgomery's case?"

Collins remained emotionless, unfazed by Brot's question and his deliverance of it.

"I told you-"

"Yeah, I'm not buying it."

"It's the truth."

"Is it?"

Brot stared down Robert like a lion hidden in tall grass, just waiting to pounce on his prey. His subtle expression gave rise to the former Chief's distress in the situation. He wasn't used to being interrogated; he was always the one asking the questions. He never though he'd find himself in this situation.

"Excuse me?" He asked, not wanting to give away his anxiety.

Brot had been hunched over the table, glaring at Robert Collins. His palms were practically glued to the surface and the moment the other man responded, Brot raised his eyebrows and sighed. He pushed himself away from the table and crossed his arms, standing in a way that made him look superior.

"Here's the thing Collins. We have _more_ that enough evidence to convict your wife of being behind Bianca Montgomery's disappearance. Not to mention the harassment…the number of torturous hours where Mrs. Montgomery was brutally beaten." Brot said, placing down photographs taken of Bianca's x-rays and unsightly bruises, cuts and areas of swelling from when she was recovering at the Miranda Centre Safe House. "I also have some insider knowledge that she's connected to these. Apparently she's been speaking to a doctor a couple of towns over for treating her with a couple of broken ribs and a bruised fibula. And Bianca Montgomery says in her statement that she had managed to defend herself against one of her attackers by beating their ribs and leg with a sharp item. I find it too coincidental. But there's a small piece of this puzzle that could easily shift the focus from your ex-wife to you."

Brot waited to see the change in Collins's face. He caught a glimpse of protest in the other man's features.

"Wha-?"

"It's quite simple, actually." Brot reasoned as he interrupted Robert from speaking. "You see Marissa Tasker just so happened to be your ex-wife's attorney during your divorce. She proposed a decent settlement from what I've seen, but you felt you deserved more. You had an all out battle in court and you lost. So, of course it seems logical to a cop that motivation would be to take away the one thing that means the most to Marissa Tasker. I mean her kids is too cruel, but her wife? Why not? You stated yourself there was a time when you would categorize Tamara Hendersen as the centre of your world. To take her wife away from her when you not only lost your own wife to another woman, but a vast amount of your money…not to mention your pride-"

"What's your point?"

Brot bent down again, leaning on the table.

"C'mon Collins. You were a cop once. You should know this. …Motive."

"'Motive?'"

"Yes, 'motive'! You had the perfect cover up. Easy access to the case files and you closing it would only cover your ass-"

"OKAY! FINE!"

Brot raised his eyebrows again at Robert's outburst.

"Okay then." He said. "Tell me."

He sighed and ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"Okay… You and I both know that I have a history with covering up my ex-wife's mistakes and there's a reason for that. It was actually the reason I resigned as Chief before anyone could find it out and to this day no one _except_ Tammy. _That_ is why I always helped her out…because she was always there for me. Had I known before that it would all come down to this, I would have _never_ helped her…" Robert hesitated before he continued. "I had a…drug problem. It had gotten so bad at one point that it was affecting the way I worked. It had already escalated by the time Bianca Montgomery was reported missing. At that time I truly _was_ putting everything I could into finding her. I even questioned J.R Chandler and attempted to accuse him of having an outside worker. But the asshole had nothing… Next thing I know I've got my ex-wife coming to me, threatening me. She told me to close the case, pronounce her dead or she'd make my life a living hell. Remember how I told you she could flip her switch from sweet to bitch in a matter of milliseconds? Well, when you're hopped up on heroin and your ex comes in and threatens you with your job, telling you that they'll tell your superiors about your personal life? Me? I got scared and did what she told me to."

"And _why _would she want you to close the case?"

Collins sighed.

"Think about it Chief. You're a cop."

Brot had one coherent thought form in his head.

_Marissa Tasker._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa was coming home from her dinner with Kendall. The two of them had spoken at great lengths about the developing relationship between Bianca and Maggie. She had tried to steer their conversation away from that topic because it hurt to even discuss it within her own head, let alone out loud and to her sister-in-law. Marissa had conflicting emotions playing a severe game with her mind. The toll it took on her had developed into a physical display of a cascade of tears kissing her cheeks as they left her eyes. It had come to her like a shockwave – everything hit her so suddenly. Kendall had said it herself. _Doesn't it worry you what could happen if, in fact, she __**does**__ go back to Maggie? She's been with her almost every night this week…so where does that leave you Red?_ Marissa knew that she wanted…needed to shut those words out, but the moment they left Kendall's mouth, they were the only things she could hear or care about. Luckily it was as they were leaving the restaurant.

_What am I supposed to do? __**Force**__ her to stay with me? What's gonna happen to the kids?_ Marissa forced herself to take a deep breath. Nothing was set in stone yet. She could still feel the taste of Bianca's kiss from earlier that day. She still felt that she was doing the right thing by giving her wife the space she needed. And if Bianca felt that that time needed to be spent with her ex then Marissa felt compelled to trust that things would work out for both of them. Even in that moment earlier that day.

"_You're __**all**__ mine tomorrow, huh?"_

_Marissa watched as a full grin formed, slowly, on Bianca's face as she nodded._

"_Mmhmm…"_

_She couldn't tear her eyes away from the brunette. The expression of sheer happiness on her face was enough to keep Marissa entranced. The goofy grin written on Bianca's lips was more than enough to have her mirroring her look._

"_Okay…good…"_

"'_Good?'" Bianca asked as she leaned forward slightly, inching her face towards Marissa's._

"_Y-yes…" The redhead barely muttered._

"_Just 'good'?" She moved closer and closer, her voice becoming softer and softer. The moment she heard Marissa give way to a conquering sigh, Bianca made her lips descend onto Marissa's. The lawyer took a hold of her wife's face, trying to anchor herself to something. As her lips danced vehemently across Marissa's, Bianca lowered her hand to the redhead's leg, lifting it to rest on the couch. Their bodies responded, following the other's like a familiar sway. Bianca had Marissa beneath her and, gently, pushed her backwards so she could lie back. The redhead placed her other hand on Bianca's hip, slowly trailing it up to her waist and made an attempt to pull their bodies closer together._

"_Wait…" Marissa murmured against her love's lips, only to keep her focus on kissing the woman she loved._

"_What?" Bianca said, never letting their lips part. She snuck her hand under Marissa and pulled her up._

"_The…the kids. What if-"_

"_They're sleeping." Bianca said quickly and smiled as she took Marissa's upper lip between her own. She gave it a small nip and licked it. It had sent the redhead into a frenzied bout of zeal and had her forcing Bianca down in the opposite direction._

She could feel her pulse racing at the mere memory of Bianca touching her. She remembered the way it felt to be under her gaze, warm and certain; playful yet loving. She couldn't comprehend why she was filled with doubt. It took over her like a cold fever, making her shake with anxiety and turning her warm skin into a now wintry surface, draining the colour from it.

Marissa had come to a stop sign and as she turned onto the familiar road, what met her sight at the end of it had her panicking. It was like something out of a movie – but this was no movie. It was reality. Her reality. The loving and caring, secure area that was her and Bianca's house was being destroyed by a conflagration. Watching the house, she feared for her children. Those cold sweats seemed to turn red hot the moment her tires made contact with the driveway, at which point she saw Miranda, AJ, Nathan and Sofia covered in black smoke. She saw Miranda and nearly heaved at the sight of her arm. She frantically killed her engine and exited the car.

"OH MY GOD!" She yelled and ran to the kids. "Wh-are you?"

"Yeah, Ma we're fine." AJ said. She bent down to check Sofia and Nathan who hugged her tightly and when they released her grip on them, she noticed the way Miranda's brave face turned white and fell. Following her gaze, she looked and saw Maggie's car. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized that Maggie's arrival didn't signify a drop-off, but a pick-up. Maggie exited the car and looked up at the once beautiful colonial house crumbling under the burning embers. _It's 8:30…it's 8:30… Bianca's supposed to be with her, but no one's with her. She looks scared. Why does she look scared? Where's Bianca?_ Marissa looked from Maggie to the house and felt the plunging drop of her fear and doubt and everything in her become heavy as she had an epiphany. _No… No… No, no, no! No! She can't be… No…I can't…lose her. No… Why isn't she with Maggie?_

"AND WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU UNTIL NOW?" Marissa yelled to Maggie as she realized that Bianca was in the house still.

Marissa took off in a sprint that could defy the laws of nature; as she took off in a sprint to save the one constant and the one love that defied chance, heartbreak and even death.

"Mom!" Miranda yelled. AJ stopped her and ran after Marissa.

"Mom!" Marissa didn't stop running. She ran around the perimeter of the burning house, down the side and to the back door of the basement. "Mom! WAIT!" Marissa turned around and coughed as she felt the small bit of smoke going into her lungs.

"AJ, go back. I'm gonna get her out. Stay with Miranda and the twins. _Don't_ follow me." Marissa approached the door and saw it wide open. _Someone did this._

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here."

Marissa nodded, not wanting to waste anymore time arguing with her son. He was safe. The rest of her kids were safe. Now, she needed Bianca to be safe. Taking what she could of a deep breath, Marissa ran through the door, only to have her vision consumed by a burning blaze everywhere she turned. But she wouldn't let it stop her. She knew this basement better than anyone and she knew exactly where Bianca would be. Keeping her arms over her face, trying to conserve every amount of oxygen she could, she ran through the fire. _Please be okay._ She kept saying to herself. She felt a burning sensation on her hip as she neared the centre of the open space of the basement. When she looked down to her right, the fabric covering side of her stomach had caught fire and burned a portion of her abdomen.

"DAMMIT!" She screamed and she pulled her jacket off, tossing it into the flames. The orange light chewed it up and she continued to move. From above, she could hear the creaking of the beams of the roof begin to give way. She looked up and dropped to the floor, wincing in pain as her fresh burn took a hit. She screamed in agony, only to have her hand collide with the table, which now emitted a smoldering heat. She pulled her hand away instantly, trying not to burn any other portion of her body. Marissa stood and coughed heavily, unable to take anymore smoke. She surveyed her surroundings and through the small, gracious path ahead of her, a little to the right, she saw Bianca's closed door. _She has to be there._ She thought. Not letting anything else stop her, Marissa made a run for the closed door.

When she got to it, she hadn't the slightest idea what would be on the other side. The door was closed and when she put her hand to the knob, it was blistering hot. Covering her mouth with her arm to choke out another cough from the wisps of smoke that tackled her lungs, Marissa lifted her leg and kicked the door in. She watched as it crumbled to the floor, allowing the already glowing flames eat away at it. She looked to the bed where Bianca was fast asleep, or so it looked. The fire hadn't gotten to her just yet, surprisingly, but she wasn't questioning it.

"Shit." She whispered before she ran to Bianca's side. She placed two fingers to her carotid artery.

_Pulse is there._

Marissa tried to shake Bianca, hoping it would wake her up.

"Bianca! Bianca c'mon!"

She heard the creak above her again and then came the sound of a ceiling tumbling to the ground. She peered outside of Bianca's door and watched it fall. She continued to shake her wife who still wouldn't wake.

"Bianca! Please! C'mon!" Still nothing. "Baby! C'mon!" Tears started to form behind her hazel eyes and she grew desperate. "Please! …BIANCA! PLEASE!"

"Huh?" Bianca's eyes fluttered momentarily and the she began to cough hysterically.

With all of the strength she could muster, Marissa stripped Bianca of her sweater and lifted the brunette off of the bed.

"C'mon. We gotta get outta here! Can you walk?"

Bianca tried to help Marissa out, but her body tensed at the fire that surrounded them. She continued to cough and did her best to follow Marissa, but she felt as if the redhead was practically carrying her out of the room. The brunette dragged her feet, but tried to move quickly. She felt numb and nearly paralyzed with fear. Another groan came from above. Bianca looked up through half open lids and before she knew what was happening, she felt her body being pummeled to the ignited floors. She felt a weight fall on top of her and a piercing shriek of pain in her ears. Marissa had yelled, but why Bianca couldn't understand. Within second, Marissa was pulling her back to her feet and had her arms wrapped around her. The next thing she knew, her right leg had gone up in flames. She screamed at the pain, but watched, groggily, as Marissa bent down to help her. That's when she saw the nearly charred flesh of Marissa's back.

Looking down at the redhead, she felt cold and saw the pale complexion Marissa's skin had taken, even in the light of the flames.

"Riss-"

"C'mon!" She said and wrapped her arm around Bianca once more. Once they reached the door, they were practically in a sprint.

The pair of them tumbled out of the fire and onto the grass outside of the house. AJ had seen them and at the sight of his mothers, he ran to them.

"AJ, take Bianca. Be careful. Go!"

AJ did as he was told. Bianca felt herself being lifted off of the ground and soon her vision became all the more blurred. She watched as Marissa faded into the distance, falling onto the grass at the side of the house. _No!_ She thought. When she breathed in and her lungs weren't met with the thick, heavy fog that was consuming her room, but the fresh oxygen they required, she coughed heavily and then there was nothing.

Nothing but black.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Griff smirked and chuckled as he wrapped Miranda's arm with gauze, finishing up.

"What's so funny?" Miranda asked, clearly not amused.

"Nothing, nothing it's just… What is it with you and your left arm? I think I've bandaged it up more time in the last two months than ever before."

Miranda gave Griff a small smirk. He had a point. And despite the timing of his remark, she couldn't help but acknowledge the absurdity of her situation.

"You shouldn't have waited a whole 24 hours to treat this."

"I was a little preoccupied."

"Miranda, are you okay?"

Miranda looked up and saw Maggie. Her eyes were cold as she regarded the older woman and sighed. _**Now**__ she notices?_

"Better than my both my moms." She said. She turned to Griffin. "You done?"

Griff nodded and Miranda took off the to room to her left.

"Bianca's in there?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah. So you were there afterwards?"

Maggie nodded.

"Yeah. I was supposed to pick Bianca up at 7:00 but…"

"But?"

"I'm a doctor too, Dr. Castillo. I have patients in Paris that need my attention as well. I was called into a conference call that couldn't wait according the board and it was about one of my patients. Bianca understood. It was supposed ot be our night."

Griff nodded.

"She's a very understanding woman… What was supposed to happen tonight?"

"I dunno," Maggie said sadly. "But she said she needed to talk to me. I think she was ready to let me back in. We spent every night together this week…"

"GRIFF!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"_No…no I can't lean on Marissa… Not anymore."_

"_Okay, am I missing something about you and Marissa? Because…I know how close the two of you are. You've become great friends. In fact, she even told me that, after everything with Ricky, she was gonna look out for you."_

"_Well, I don't want her to have to do that for me…"_

"_Binx! She is __**just**__ as appreciative of you helping her getting out of that closet-"_

"_Okay, please, let's just, let's leave it alone… Marissa's…very busy with AJ…and J.R."_

"_Binx, c'mon! This is me, okay? …I can see it. I-I can see there is something, something is tearing you up inside. There is something going on with you and you have to tell me what it is…"_

"_There is a __**very**__ good reason why I can't let Marissa get too close to me right now…"_

"_What possible reason?"_

"…_Iii'm…falling in love…with her?"_

"_Oh…wow!"_

"_Uff…I haven't said it out loud until now… Am I crazy?"_

"_Uh well…falling in love __**does**__ make you a little crazy."_

She wondered how she always found herself waking up in these places – hospitals. She hated them. Nothing good ever came of it. The last time she woke up in a hospital, she found out she had amnesia.

Bianca tried so hard to fight it. She didn't want to wake up. She didn't want to see anybody. She didn't want to think. But her mouth betrayed her.

"Mnnn…" She groaned. She refused to open her eyes, but she couldn't help it. That's when everything came flooding back to her. She could feel every inch of her body. Bianca tried to breathe, but it was too difficult. She ended up coughing to the point where she heaved. Her eyes opened and were met with a familiar face.

"Hey Bianca. Welcome back."

"Griff?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Thank God! You scared me Mom!"

Bianca looked to the direction of the voice and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Miranda?" She watched as her daughter smiled and nodded. Tears were forming in her eyes and as much as she wanted to run to her mother, she knew she couldn't.

"Do you know where you are?" Griff asked.

"Y-yeah…" Bianca said, looking past him to Miranda, who still smiled through her tears.

"Can you tell me the last thing you remember?"

"Uh…I was…I was waiting for Maggie, then there was a fire, and then… OH MY GOD! Where is she? Griff, PLEASE tell me she's okay! WHERE IS SHE?"

"Whoa, whoa! Bianca lay back down okay? Breathe. She's right here, don't worry."

Griffin motioned to the door. Bianca looked over to his directed arm. Her heart beat wildly in her chest with anticipation, but fell heavily when Maggie walked into her room.

"Bianca!" Maggie wrapped her arms, carefully, around the brunette. "I'm so sorry," Maggie said. Her words were muffled by Bianca's shoulder and tears ensued.

Bianca's face was expressionless.

Miranda watched her mother's look of confusion and the way she lifted a single arm and rested it on Maggie's back. She turned to Griffin as he looked down at her.

"That wasn't the 'she' she was referring to…Doc." Miranda whispered.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca sat up in her bed and stared at her leg. It was bandaged, but that didn't stop the pain from torturing her…neither did it quit her thoughts of Marissa. No one had come in to tell her anything.

"Hey." Bianca shot her head in the direction of the door. She saw Miranda's form gracing it. "Sorry if I startled you."

"N-no… How are you?"

"I'll survive. I uh, just wanted you to know that I'm taking off. Sofia, Nathan and I are gonna stay with Aunt Kendall and uncle Zach. They're okay. Just in dire need of a bath and uh… I called Gabby. She was distraught when she found out. She said her finals finish in a week so she's gonna come straight home."

Bianca nodded.

"Thank you," she whispered. Miranda stepped further into the room and planted a kiss on her mother's forehead.

"I'll see you first thing tomorrow, okay?" Miranda softly said. Bianca nodded and before she knew it, Griffin Castillo had filled Miranda's spot.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "Can I get you anything?"

There were so many answers to that question that filled Bianca's mind. She didn't know which one was the right one to ask. She wanted to know if Marissa was okay, what had happened to her. Her heart felt elevated by the mere thought of the redhead's smile, but it fell into a dark depth the moment she remembered the last time she had seen Marissa. It was blurry, but it was imprinted into her memory. She watched as AJ left her behind; as her wife fell to the ground in a heap. Then? Nothing…

Bianca hated herself for not saying anything sooner to Marissa. She thought back to her thoughts the previous morning. _Should I tell her now? …No. Wait until everything is sorted with Maggie first… __**Why**__ did I wait? I'm in love with her. I shouldn't have to explain to anyone. I should have just told her. I love her. Love only comes once in a while! __**Why**__ would I wait? __**Why**__ did I wait? Now look! I wanna see her…_

"Bianca?"

"Huh? Oh…sorry… Umm…I wanna see Marissa."

Griffin sighed.

"Look, Bianca-"

"Please Griff! She's…she's my wife. I have to see her… I _need_ to see her… Please…?"

"Okay…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Griffin had rolled Bianca in a wheelchair throughout the halls of Pine Valley Hospital. She stopped outside of a closed door and stood in front of her. He kneeled down and placed a comforting hand on Bianca's knee, as if he were trying to console her in some manner. Bianca became a little bit frightened at what she could possibly find behind that door.

"Okay… Uh… Marissa's condition is stable. Even though it's not critical, it's still a bit serious. Her burns aren't as bad as we originally thought, but they're still pretty bad. She's lying on a flat bed, on her stomach so the wounds can breathe and heal faster. She's in a coma…" Griffin said everything carefully and clearly. He gave Bianca a comforting squeeze when he noticed her tears falling. "The part of the ceiling that fell on her? We think it gave her a concussion. She hasn't woken up yet, but we don't think it'll be too long, okay?"

Bianca bit her lip and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and nodded. Dr. Castillo sighed and opened the door.

The sight that met Bianca's eyes only pushed her further into her pool of emotions. Her tears overwhelmed her, as she was rolled closer and closer into the room.

"Oh God," she whispered. Griffin situated her near Marissa's head. The redhead was still and it alarmed the brunette. "No, no, no…" Bianca said to herself. She leaned down and caressed Marissa's cheek before she lowered her lips to her wife's face, kissing her temple and letting it linger there for several seconds before returned to grazing Marissa's face. Bianca felt Marissa's skin beneath her hand. _She's so cold._ She sighed and wiped a few tears from her own face.

"This is my fault…" she said gently into the room. "Why didn't I just tell you everything yesterday? Why did I have to let you have doubts? We could've made so many new memories… I know they said you'll pull through, but I can't help the fact that I'm the reason you're here…like this… I did this to you… Baby, you have to wake up okay? I have so much to tell you."

…

"_He's in a good mood…"_

"_Yeah…but you're not… I know why… I make you uncomfortable."_

"_No, you don't."_

"_Please. You practically hung up on me earlier, now you don't want to make weekend plans?"_

"_Tha-that's just a scheduling thing-"_

"_Bianca… I get it… You look at me, you see something that you want to forget… What Ricky did to us? How scared he made us? I don't blame you for not wanting to be around me-"_

"_Okay, that is __**not**__ how it is-"_

"_But, listen! …If you need to avoid me, I just hope it's not for very long…because there would be a __**huge**__ hole in my life if you're not in it."_

Bianca took a deep breath as she came out of another memory.

"That's twice in one day… They're coming faster now. But you have to wake up because I have to tell you that I don't care anymore. I don't care about the memories I have because it doesn't matter what they are…when they come, who's in them… At the end of the day…it's you. You're the only one I see…you and our beautiful kids. You _have_ to wake up so I can tell you that it's you… It was always you. I knew that, but I was scared. I tried to hold onto something I knew so I could feel safe, but you do that for me already. I put you through hell; first with not remembering you and then pulling away from you. Then I assumed we were having an affair and even thought you and I were terrible. But you were always honest with me… You never made me feel guilty for not being someone else. You accepted me from day one and you loved me just the same. And you made me fall in love with you all over again… I am _so_ sorry for doing this to you…I don't deserve you, but you love me…You _have_ to wake up. Please." Bianca leaned down again. She kissed Marissa's cheek, her nose, her eyes and her head. "Please," she said against Marissa's forehead. "It's not Maggie. It's you. It's not Maggie."

"Well, I guess that answers _my_ question."

Bianca turned her body to look at the entrance and was met with a cold stare.

"Maggie."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**Miranda's POV**

"_But if it had to perish twice,  
>I think I know enough of hate<br>To say that for destruction, ice  
>Is also great<br>And would suffice."_

Ice is a difficult surface. It's never stable, always slippery. There are moments when we glide a long it and find it quite pleasant. However, the moment we lose our balance and fall, that smooth surface hits us unlike anything else in our lives. The pain shoots up your spine and sometime you're left just lying there, trying figure out a way to stay standing the next time. It's destructive.

An ice-cold gaze – an unfriendly look  
>On thin ice – a risky situation (could lead to death)<br>Break the ice – an introduction to someone or something; another accomplice to destruction… 

o.o.O.O.o.o

It's that time again… My final exams begin next week so I won't be updating so much until April 28th. I'm gonna write on my breaks, but I make no promises. Hope you enjoyed!


	22. Interception

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Unknown POV**

I guess we'll never know just _how_ we get ourselves tangled up in these webs that life just happens to weave for us. It's one of those times we can empathize with the fly caught in a black widow's clutches. We wander into this intricate area that we know we probably shouldn't even get near. We've been warned about it, but do we listen to our better judgment?

Nope!

But it's not always like that, is it?

Sometimes you stumble onto it without intending to.

Sometimes you're looking for it.

Sometimes it's thrown at you and you don't have a choice.

So answer this…

What you don't know won't hurt you?

What you don't know will save you from some pain?

Knowing nothing is better than knowing at all?

What you hear…overhear something – accidental or not – and it has to do with you and affects you in such a way that could turn your _whole_ world upside down in a span of a few seconds, do you instantly regret it? Or are you grateful that you're no longer in the dark about it? Are you happy that you were able to intercept the information that wasn't meant for your ears to hear?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Miranda moved to exit Pine Valley Hospital when she noticed Brot speaking to Dr. Castillo by the Nurse's Station. The doctor was gesturing a lot with his hands; point to various areas of the arm, indicating spaces on his back and then, she noticed that he had caught her staring at the two of them and pointed in her direction. Brot turned his head and noticed her presence as well. Nodding to Griffin, he turned his back and started towards Miranda. She crossed her arms before realizing that a rather serious burn had made its home there. She winced and let out a hiss before Brot had stopped in his path directly in front of the teenager.

"You alright? Griffin said you got burned pretty badly."

"I'll live…even though this hurts like a bitch… Excuse my French."

Brot chuckled.

"Don't worry about it."

"Look…I answered all the quest-"

"I'm not here to get a statement from anyone except Griff. I just wanted to let you know that I've submitted the evidence and simply waiting on a warrant. We have just enough evidence to convict Ms. Hendersen of your mother's abduction. If we find anything else, there'll be a search for her. She'll be tried and that's that."

Miranda regarded Brot with the utmost respect. She gave him a small, exhausted smile and thanked him. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"When I get the warrant though, I'm gonna need someone to be at the house."

"Half the house is gone Chief."

Brot nodded.

"I know, I know. I was there. I just mean that one of the owners of the house needs to be in vicinity when we search the pool house. I spoke to Dr. Castillo, Bianca's being discharged tomorrow. The burn on her leg isn't as bad as the one on your arm and definitely better than the ones on Marissa's body. I'm gonna be getting it any time within the next couple of days."

Miranda sighed and nodded.

"Someone will be there."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**The smell of fallen ash penetrated her nostrils as if the live, burning embers were flaring directly under her nose. As she inhaled, she could feel nothing but the stiff, thick, black fog being taken into her lungs and, at the contact, she coughed wildly. She opened her eyes and found herself in the sandy dirt of the area of the park she considered her safe haven. She scrunched her eyebrows and propped herself upwards still coughing. She tried to stand, but the hawking prevented her from doing anything but sitting. Once the violent trembles settled, Marissa attempted to take a deep breath and succeeded. She closed her eyes and breathed in the clean, familiar air that her surroundings brought.**

**Marissa placed her hands firmly onto the ground beneath her and pushed herself upwards. Moving to stand, her eyes fell onto the tree to her left and she smiled. Without hesitation, she walked closer to it, an arm outstretched; she allowed her hand to fall onto the 'B.M' that had been saliently engraved into the bark. The moment her fingertips had grazed the imprint, her heart raced. A smiled graced her features and the exhaling sigh that escaped her lips left her feeling completely thrown. **

_**This is all my fault…**_

**Marissa suddenly moved away from the tree. She had heard that clearly and she knew that voice. **_**Bianca?**_** Her thoughts cried out to her. She looked up and saw nothing but darkness. She looked to the water and immediately felt a tranquility embrace her. It overtook her body like the warmth of a cozy blanket on a blistering cold day. The calm splashes of the slow moving waves hitting the rocks rocked her into a content stupor. It caused the smile that had left her face to return as she wrapped her arms around herself.**

"**Beautiful, isn't it?"**

**The redhead turned so quickly that she almost didn't believe the sight before her. A middle-aged woman stood there smiling at her. She stood still, not daring to move. Her arms were rested at her sides as she regarded Marissa with a loving smile and a warm gaze.**

"…**Mom?"**

**Lydia Tasker's smile only grew. The moment she saw the look of recognition on her daughter's face, she began to walk. Closer and closer, Lydia chuckled lightly and finally came face to face with Marissa.**

"**Hi Monster…"**

**Marissa laughed through inceptive tears at the nickname her mother had labeled her with as a child. She reached out, meaning to hug the woman who raised her, but she wrists were all of a sudden seized in the light grip of her mother's cold hands.**

"**Not yet Baby Girl. You and I have some things to talk about. C'mon…"**

**Lydia took a hold of Marissa's hand and led her over to a bench. Looking around, Marissa noticed that they were no longer in the park in Pine Valley. The composed sloshes of the stream she had become familiar with had disappeared and what she was faced with was an open area. To her right, she recognized the baby blue slide from her childhood and the black swings that seemed to move on their own as a serene breeze blew past them. **

"**This is…" Marissa looked behind her and noticed her mother sitting on a bench holding a box of donuts and a can of orange soda. She scoffed light-heartedly and sat beside her mother who handed her the beverage and opened the box, offering her a donut. **

_**That's twice in one day… They're coming fast now.**_

**Marissa nearly dropped her donut at the sound of her love's voice and looked at her mother. The woman was unfazed. **_**Surely she heard that, right?**_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Maggie…"

Maggie's face was written with various colours. The green in her eyes coloured her envy as she looked past Bianca to Marissa's lifeless form lying face down on the hospital bed. The red in her lips were turning white in anger and they curled under her teeth to keep herself from saying hurtful and regretful things. And the blue in the tears forming behind her brown eyes let Bianca know that sadness had overtaken her amongst everything else.

"So that's what you needed to talk to me about?"

Bianca forced herself to move away from Marissa, as difficult as it was. She rolled herself slightly away from the bed and, somehow, managed to turn the wheelchair to face Maggie's disappointed gaze.

"You heard all of that?"

"Every word… I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was told you were in here and thought you could use a shoulder to cry on or something… Wasn't expecting to hear your confession to Marissa about how much you want to be with her."

"I'm so sorry…but it's how I feel. It's not that I don't love you-"

"You're just not _in_ love with me…" Maggie crossed her arms and walked into the room a bit. She looked at Bianca and noticed her appearance. The brunette had dark circles forming under her eyes, which were glistening from the moisture of the tears that had managed to escape. Her lip quivered spontaneously at random moments and, despite the fact that she had been in a fire a mere 24 hours prior, she shivered erratically. But regardless of the pity Maggie had felt for Bianca, she was hurt. She and Bianca had spent an amazing week together. Maggie felt that she had been patient with Bianca, never pressing for anything more than a hug and simple peck on the cheek or her hand every so often. She was doing things properly, waiting without complaint of wanting more or letting on that she craved to be closer to her. Maggie knew that she was in the wrong all those years ago and thought this to be her second chance. She was confused. "I…I don't get it, Bianca. I mean, I did everything right!"

"I know, I know-"

"I was patient and honest and you didn't even let on that you were unhappy."

"I could say the same for you!"

_Oh no… _Maggie thought, but covered her concern. But Bianca spoke before she could.

"I'm sorry… I don't know where that came from. I just felt that I should say it for some strange reason…" They were silent for several seconds, both trying to figure out what their next words should be. Bianca looked at Marissa and sighed. She reached out for the beautiful redhead and stroked her temples, removing the hair that had fallen and placing it behind her ears. "Maggie…I can't help it. There's this…pull to her." Bianca said, turning her attention back to Maggie. "And-"

"Sorry ladies." Griffin Castillo had popped his head into the room. "But visiting hours are over."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"**Did you hear that?" Marissa asked Lydia.**

"**Hear what, Sweetie?" **

"…**Nothing." Marissa shook her head. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand while the other one occupied the orange soda. She took a sip and looked at mother. The woman was wearing a simple smirk and watching her daughter. **

"**You can ask me, you know…"**

"**What do you mean?" Marissa asked as she swallowed the sweet, orange drink.**

"**I know there's a question you wanna ask me. You've been wondering the moment you woke up in the sand. Maybe you didn't realize it, but it came to you the minute you saw me… So, go ahead. Ask me."**

**Marissa frowned. There was a question burning within her.**

"**Am I…dead?"**

**Lydia smirked and grabbed Marissa's hand.**

"**No… Not even close. **_**You**_** have **_**far**_** too much to live for still…"**

"**Then why-?"**

"**For you. You wanted to talk to me…and I needed to talk to you."**

**Marissa grinned.**

"**Where's Dad?"**

**The older woman chuckled and ran a hand through Marissa's hair.**

"**Jeesh! Couldn't tear your attention away from that man when I was alive, you two were always together… Mind if I get my time in?"**

**Marissa laughed out and whole-heartedly. She nodded in understanding and steered her attention to her mother entirely. Growing up, Marissa had always been closer to her father. The two of them usually spent Saturday mornings eating breakfast on the couch and watching cartoons; mainly Loony Toons. Her father would make her laugh until her stomach hurt by doing impressions of Porky Pig and Elmur Fud. If she had nightmares and woke up crying, her father would soothe her the majority of the time, singing her 'Forevermore' while he rocked her back to sleep.**

"**Of course," she said. **

"**Being a mom…it's hard, huh?"**

**Marissa nodded. **

"**But I love it."**

"**I know you do Monster. I can tell with the way you raised them. You and Bianca did an amazing job."**

**Marissa was almost stunned at the mention of her wife's name. It nearly took her breath away and the emotions she felt before when she touched the tree flooded her veins again.**

"**Of course you know about Bianca." Marissa nodded.**

"**I do… And she's as amazing as you are."**

"**I thought you would love her."**

"**I do. She makes you happy and she loves you."**

**Marissa rested her elbow on the bench as she crossed her legs and shifted her body towards her mom. She gently placed her head in her hand, keeping it propped up.**

"**And those Grandbabies of mine. They're a bunch of geniuses. AJ and Miranda are growing into **_**amazing**_** adults. And don't you go worrying about Miranda. She's going to be fine. Now, Gabby…that young lady is **_**way **_**beyond her years. And the twins? Sofia is exactly like her mom."**

"**Smart and beautiful?" Marissa joked.**

"**A little monster. Watch out with that one. She's a fireball! So energetic. And Nathan…he's a curious little fella. Calm, loving, accepting-"**

"**Like Bianca…"**

**Lydia noticed the way Marissa's face fell. Her contemplative and proud smile had turned to one of fear and insecurity.**

"**What's wrong?"**

"…**I'm scared."**

"**Of what?"**

"**Waking up…"**

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Maggie exited Marissa's room with the promise from Bianca that they would talk about everything once things couldn't be compared to a daytime soap opera. Once she got into the hallway she saw Miranda leaning against the wall.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I don't want anything… Not from you at least. I don't expect anything from you."

Maggie let out a large exhaling puff, in a way that demonstrated her weariness.

"Okay, that's it! Why? Why do you hate me?"

Miranda released herself from her position against the wall and laughed.

"Hate you? No…nah that would be _too_ easy. Because, you see, _that_ would mean you have the satisfaction of knowing that I care… And I don't. Not anymore. And unlike you I tell the people I love the truth…the _whole_ truth when it comes to explaining something. You say you've been patient and honest and the truth is, Maggie, you've been neither. What you _have_ been is selfish."

"Wait, you _heard_ what I said just now?"

Miranda nodded.

"Yup! And you can say all you want about how you love my mom and you were hoping for a second chance and all that, but the truth is that if you really love her like you say you do, you wouldn't have tried _so_ hard to keep her away from Marissa."

"I didn't-"

"Yeah…you did. Otherwise you would've let her be happy and make her own decisions instead of confusing her. I mean it _was_ after Marissa told you that she was her wife that you decided to make your feelings known. You obviously felt threatened… Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta get home and I wanna say bye to my moms before I do that."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Bianca, why don't I roll you back to your room?"

Bianca shook her head. She had managed to place herself back at Marissa's head. The moment Maggie left the room, her hands sought Marissa's face. It was the only part of her wife that she could touch and it was the only part of her that she could see. Miranda had just left to go to Kendall's and Bianca didn't want to go anywhere.

"C'mon, you need to rest."

"No…I… I wanna stay with her."

Bianca leaned forward, pressing her head to Marissa's and then let her lips linger on her face for a few moments. Griffin watched as his patient tore her lips away from the woman she loved.

"Bianca-"

"I said I'm staying!" Bianca said, shooting Griffin a stern look. She was determined and wouldn't leave Marissa's side for anything or anyone. Her features softened and she looked at Marissa again. "I'm sorry Griff. But I can't leave her… Please don't make me leave her."

Griff sighed and nodded.

"Fine… I'll come back and check on you in a bit. _But_ if I feel that you're overtired or in pain _or_ that you've fallen asleep, I'm bringing you back to your room. You're still a patient in this hospital, not to mention a recovering one, and you need to take care of yourself too. Got it?"

Bianca nodded.

"Got it."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"'**Waking up'? Why?"**

**Marissa sighed. She hadn't the slightest idea as to why she was feeling this way. She loved Bianca with every fiber of her being and would fight until her last breath for the brunette. But Marissa knew what waking up meant. It meant that she would be opening herself up to the possibility of losing Bianca forever. When she was conscious, that was already something she had to deal with…but she didn't want to deal with the prospect having to go through a divorce. Those were ugly and when Bianca and her got married, she thought that the issue would never come up. Now, here she was, on the brink of death or consciousness, staring at the possibility of it all.**

"**Bianca has amnesia, Mom."**

**Lydia nodded.**

"**I know that."**

"**Of course you do…"**

**Lydia shifted closer to her daughter and took her hand, squeezing it tightly.**

"**Honey, she remembers you."**

**Marissa shook her head.**

"**No…she doesn't… Not all of me. Not us."**

"**She remembers you… Trust me."**

_**Just wake up…please…?**_

**Marissa looked up and then back to her mother. Lydia wore the same smirk she had when she made her appearance known a little while ago.**

"**You hear them, don't you?" She asked.**

"**Them?" Marissa questioned. "I only hear one voice."**

"**Bianca's, no doubt."**

"**Yeah…"**

"**Tell me about her…"**

**Marissa smiled and could feel herself turning crimson red. **

"**And don't say you love her. I gathered that much already with your reaction just now."**

"**Well…I could spend forever listing things about her beauty and how amazing she is and, while all of that is true, listing things is pale in comparison to how she makes me feel. Since she came into my life I haven't been the same and I never will be. She keeps me going and has always protected me. I'd be hopeless without her…which is why I'm so scared to wake up. I could lose her Mom…"**

"**Monster… I hate to break it to ya…but if you **_**don't **_**wake up…you **_**will**_** lose her. I know what you're feeling. I know what you're going through, but did it ever occur to you that Bianca's fearing for you right now? How do you feel about losing her?"**

"**To bring myself to that point of picturing my life without her again, I can't fathom it."**

_**Please…please, wake up…**_

"**By the sounds of it…she can't either… You see, she's pulling you back. No matter how hard you fight it, she's always going to pull you back. So I'm going to ask you again. Wake up and face the **_**possibility**_** of losing Bianca for good? Or never wake up and **_**actually**_** lose her for good?"**

**Marissa stared at the way her hands and her mother's were nestled comfortably with one another. Marissa chuckled at her stupidity and looked into her mother's eyes. She smiled fully and her chortle turned into a fully-fledged laugh. Lydia matched her daughter's reaction and pulled her into a tight and warm embrace. Marissa felt at ease, peaceful and full of love. Nothing within her periphery could blind her or capture her attention as she listened to her mother's voice.**

"**I told you… There's life left to go." Lydia pulled away.**

"**Yeah… The words?"**

"**You won't remember them… Unless it's the ones you hear as you're waking up…"**

"**Why?"**

"**I don't know… You better get going Marissa…"**

**The redhead pulled her mother back in for another hug. She squeezed her tightly.**

"…**I love you." Marissa whispered.**

"**I love you too, Monster."**

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Griffin left the room and Bianca continued to focus on Marissa. She was tired…exhausted, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore to Bianca except for the woman before her and their beautiful family.

"Just wake up…please…? I dunno how many times I can beg you… Maybe this is my punishment for keeping my distance and if it is, the universe really sucks for doing this to you. I mean it's just a coma…but Griff said that even the smallest things can leave the biggest scars… I can vouch for that. Something as small as a kiss from you makes me weak. Just the way to run a finger over my cheek," she said, her actions imitating her words. "It makes me shiver. I can't see why I'd do anything without you anymore. I'm here, spilling my guts out and I dunno why. Maybe it's to get it all out there or maybe it's because I'm hoping that you can hear me. Either way, it doesn't matter. Please…please wake up." Bianca took a deep breath. "I know you've fought for me already…I dunno how much fight you have in you left, but I'm hoping it's enough to get you back… Come back to me... Maybe I don't deserve you…but you deserve to live… You deserve to watch our kids grow up into the amazing people you raised them to be. And I know you'd chastise me for saying that you raised them…but you did. I haven't been around. And even though it's not my fault, it's true. …Don't leave me here on my own. There's nothing without you. Nothing but fear and sadness…" Bianca crouched down and rested her chin so she was leveled with Marissa's eyes. "Wake up…c'mon…" Bianca looked up, hoping to be heard. "Just tell me what to do… What can I do to make her stay?"

There was the sound of sharp inhale, which hadn't gone unnoticed by Bianca. Redirecting her attention to Marissa, she reassumed her position, resting her chin on the bed. If her wife was going to wake up, she wanted to be the first thing she saw. Bianca watched, hopeful, as she gazed at Marissa's closed eyes.

_Was that movement?_

The tears came to her eyes as she watched Marissa's eyelashes begin to move, signaling the redhead's eyelids to flutter as they opened slowly.

"H-hi…" Bianca said through teary eyes and a small giggle.

"Hi…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

What did you think? My brain's a little rusty. Stupid finals! Done 2/5. Took the night off to write, but it starts again when I wake up. Vicious cycle these stupid things are. One more week and I'm free to UD as MUCH as I want! YEAAAAAH!

Hope you enjoyed!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	23. Wait

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Bianca's POV**

There are moments in our lives where we just find ourselves sitting, waiting – waiting to die or waiting to live. It's all we can do at those instances where not much can be done. We're left to wonder what happened? Where did it all go wrong? How did I get here? If you can't understand it then the next time you're walking down the street and you see someone completely consumed by their thoughts (and you'll be able to see it in the darkness in their eyes) ask yourself what it is they're waiting for. Maybe they're waiting for absolution. Some of us need that…especially me.

All I did those last three years was wait. In those warehouses and basements, I waited to die. When Kendall, Miranda, and AJ brought me to the Miranda Centre, I waited to live. And at that moment when I saw Marissa on that bed, I sat there and waited. I waited for her to wake up. And the minute I saw her hazel eyes staring back at me, I was still waiting…waiting for the moment when she would smile at me without pain written on her face; waiting for the instant she would kiss me and wasn't trying to convince me of anything; waiting for the seconds it would take for her to tell me that I was forgiven…because at that moment Marissa and I had been on two completely different paths, going in different directions, unable to change our paths…

'Anymore than we could hold back the dawn'… Charles Boyer. Truer words were never spoken…until now.

My wait was over. I refused to sit by and wait any longer.

_Under a blackened sky  
>Far beyond the glaring streetlights<br>Sleeping on empty dreams  
>The vultures lie in wait<br>You lay down beside me then  
>You were with me every waking hour<br>So close I could feel your breath…  
>…Pressed up against the glass<br>I found myself wanting sympathy  
>But to be consumed again<br>Oh I know would be the death of me  
>And there is a love that's inherently given<br>A kind of blindness offered to appease  
>And in that light of forbidden joy<br>Oh I know I won't receive it  
>When all we wanted was the dream…<em>

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_This is all my fault… This is all my fault… Why couldn't I just tell her? Why? _Bianca Montgomery had all but screamed like a mad woman to the space above her, willing anyone who could hear her inner thoughts to answer her pleas.

"…Don't leave me here on my own. There's nothing without you. Nothing but fear and sadness…" She looked at Marissa and noted the way her body remained completely still…lifeless_._ She looked at the way Marissa laid on her stomach, exposing her back to anyone who would walk into the room. The doctors had kept her burns uncovered to increase the rate of recovery. The glisten of the medication lathered on the redhead's back was easily seen from where Bianca sat as the light above them illuminated its glow. It had taken everything within the brunette not to wheel herself over to that area of the bed and kiss away the pain that she knew for sure her wife would feel the moment she opened her eyes. Bianca found herself in a state of being able to do nothing but wait… And she despised it. Other than her back, Marissa's body was entirely shielded by the white, flavourless bedsheets that the hospital supplied, making the brunette incapable of being able to reach for her wife's hand. Bianca crouched down and rested her chin so she was leveled with Marissa's eyes and her hand returned to its resting place on the redhead's cheek. "Wake up…c'mon…" Bianca looked up, hoping to be heard. "Just tell me what to do… What can I do to make her stay?"

There was the sound of sharp inhale, which hadn't gone unnoticed by Bianca. Redirecting her attention to Marissa, she reassumed her position, resting her chin on the bed. If her wife was going to wake up, she wanted to be the first thing she saw. Bianca watched, hopeful, as she gazed at Marissa's closed eyes.

Was that movement?

The tears came to her eyes as she watched Marissa's eyelashes begin to move, signaling the redhead's eyelids to flutter as they opened slowly.

"H-hi…" Bianca said through teary eyes and a small giggle.

"Hi…" Marissa looked at Bianca as if she were seeing her for the first time. She was completely enthralled in the way she looked. Despite the obvious marks left by the fatigue under her eyes and the damp areas on her cheeks, Marissa was still certain that her wife was the most beautiful sight in the world. Her warm hand rested on her face and her thumb was tracing a line along her cheek. It was soothing and such a loving gesture that had something stirring in Marissa. She wanted to move, sit up somehow so she could see Bianca better. She tried to move, but the pain on her back stopped her. "OWW!"

Bianca winced and stopped Marissa.

"N-no. Don't move. Oh God, I'm an idiot! I should call Griff. He's your doctor." Marissa watched as Bianca moved her hands from her face to the wheelchair she was in.

"No…wait!" Marissa said desperately. Bianca stopped and turned to Marissa immediately.

"What? What is it? The pain? Are you okay?" The tone in Bianca's voice was frantic and quick.

"No. No…I'm okay. I'm fine, it's just... Stay here…with me for a minute, okay?"

"...Okay."

Marissa exhaled, relieved.

"But Marissa I should really get a-"

"I know…and soon. I promise. Soon... I just wanna…b-be alone with you for a little bit... Is that okay?"

Bianca lowered her head again as her hand sought Marissa's face. She leaned forward and watched as Marissa closed her eyes as Bianca placed a lingering, tender kiss on her temple. She listened as Marissa let out a sigh of contentment.

"That's perfect." Bianca whispered. She watched as the redhead opened her eyes again and simply stared at her.

"H-have…you…" Marissa winced from the pain as she took a deep breath. Bianca immediately became worried.

"Marissa. I should really call Griff."

"N-no. Wait…I…I w-want…to get this out… Please?"

Bianca exhaled and nodded with the promise not to interrupt again.

"Th-thanks… Have you b-been here all night?"

The brunette laughed lightly.

"Wh-what?" Marissa breathed out.

"I-I'm sorry it's just… You come out of a coma, scaring me half to death by the way, and that's the first question you ask me?"

Marissa smirked.

"What…were you expecting?"

Bianca continued to run her hand alongside Marissa's face.

"I dunno…something along the lines of 'What happened'? Maybe?"

"I know…what happened." Marissa said as she coughed. And flinched again.

"Okay, okay. I need to get Griff." Witnessing Marissa in pain was becoming too difficult a task for Bianca. It was bringing her to tears and left an aching in her chest that she couldn't do anything except get help from Dr. Castillo.

"N-no. I'm fine."

"Marissa-"

"No… They'll just…p-put me back…to sleep."

"It's a good thing. You'll be in less pain and you'll-"

"B-be asleep… I…I wanna see you…talk to you… C-can't do that if-if I'm asleep."

"Well, well, well…"

Bianca turned her head to see Griffin walking into the room. There was a tired grin on his face as he noticed that Marissa had woken up. Bianca removed her hand from Marissa's face and placed them on her chair and wheeled herself to Marissa's other side, out of view.

"B-Bianca?"

"I'm right here." She said, putting her hand in the crook of the redhead's neck. "I'm right here… Griff just needs to check you out"

"Exactly. So? How you feeling Mrs. Tasker?"

"A bit un-uncomfortable."

Griff nodded and he looked to Bianca. She looked back at him and then down at the back of Marissa's head. She moved her hand upwards and ran it through the auburn hair that she loved. She ran her fingers through it, putting it in its place so the redhead could see.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. This definitely isn't good for your neck, but until they sanitize the bed you need, this is gonna have to do. We've been rotating your head."

"I-I'm okay f-for now."

Griff looked to Bianca again and smirked.

"Yeah… I can see that. Well we've given you a small anesthetic for the burns on your back. Fortunately, it also helps with healing them. As well, you're being given small doses of morphine to help you with the pain, which we'll be administering again shortly. You need the rest. When you were brought in, you were given a CT scan. No abnormalities in your brain, which is a good thing, considering the fact that a ceiling fell on you. Now…your burns aren't _too_ severe, but they are pretty bad. Once you're discharged, you're going to need constant support and even a little bit of physical therapy. You're going to be in a bed for a while so you're definitely going to need it. Also because you inhaled a lot of smoke, your lungs need the exercise. Not too many sessions though. Once the burns start itching, that means you're well on our way to recovery… Any questions?"

"Uhh…" Marissa said. "How-how long until I can…l-leave?"

"What? You don't like us?" Griff joked, which elicited a small chuckle from Marissa who tried hard not to move. "Judging by the way your injury looks? I'd say about a month."

"Okay…" Marissa wheezed. The coughs she drew out rocked her body and caused her to scream in pain. Bianca's facial expression fell from its hopeful high as she wheeled herself to her former position when she noticed that Griffin ran to her IV drip. "N-no!" She shouted to Griffin. "N-not yet."

"Marissa, I have to."

"I d-don't want…to sleep… N-not yet." She said as she moved her neck slightly to look up at Bianca. Her imploring gaze softened into one of tranquility as she saw brown eyes staring into her. She suddenly felt exposed and every inch of her tingled with supplication. She was overcome with the need to reach out to the brunette who suddenly looked terrified. She wanted to calm the woman she loved, let her know that everything was alright…would be alright.

Bianca recognized the stammer in Marissa's comments. Her words were severed by pauses and stutters, which concerned her.

"Uh…Griff? Wh-why is she stuttering?"

"It's the disorientation. Her body has gone through a great deal of stress and when you mix that with the medications and the fact that her lungs aren't up to par, it could result in the stammering. But not to worry, she'll be okay _very_ soon."

"Oh…okay. Thanks Griff."

"Of course… So, Ms. Montgomery, may I bring you back to your room now?"

Bianca looked at Griffin annoyed.

"I thought I told you that I wasn't moving from here. I told you I'm not leaving her. I haven't fallen asleep and I'm not in pain. Besides, I'm getting discharged tomorrow, right?"

Marissa furrowed her eyebrows as the doctor and her wife communicated.

"D-discharge?"

Bianca tore her attention from Dr. Castillo to focus on Marissa.

"Y-yeah… My leg got burned. It's nothing."

"Th-hell it's not…"

Bianca lowered her head.

"I'm fine… I promise you. My only concern right now is being here with you. I'm not going anywhere."

Marissa shifted her neck to get closer to Bianca's touch.

"B-but-"

"No 'buts'. That's how it is. If they want me in a bed, then they can wheel one in here. But I am _not_ leaving you."

"That can be done, actually."

Bianca turned her focus to the doctor once more. He nodded, reassuring Bianca that getting another bed into the room wouldn't be a problem. She was still a patient and needed to be in a bed. She needed to rest and sitting up all night in a wheelchair was definitely not ideal. Griffin offered both of them a smile and exited the room, leaving them alone once more. A silence fell in the room as Bianca turned her gaze onto Marissa's pale face and continued to trace its outline.

"'N-not leaving' me…huh?"

Bianca smiled and shook her head.

"No… I'm _definitely not_ leaving you."

Marissa sighed and gave a weak smile.

"C'mere…"

Bianca's smile widened and she rested her chin to be face-to-face with Marissa. She let her eyes run wild in outlining her wife's delicate facial features.

"Cl-closer…"

Bianca obeyed and sighed as their noses connected. Marissa was able to push herself that extra millimeter as her lips connected with Bianca's. She silently moaned at the way their lips collided. It took over her, making her legs numb. She felt all the more stupefied when Bianca's hand traveled past her cheek to the back of her neck and into the tresses of her hair. It wasn't fervent, but it everything either of them needed in that moment, even if it didn't last long.

"Wow, I'm sorry for the interruption."

"T's okay," Marissa replied as Bianca pulled away at the sound of Griff's voice. Griffin walked over to Bianca and helped her out of the wheelchair. Once she stood on her own two feet, she held onto Dr. Castillo to maintain her balance. The doctor rolled the chair away from them and helped Bianca onto the bed that had been brought for her. After a small request from Marissa to roll Bianca's bed closer, Griffin had chuckled a bit and was all too happy to grant Marissa her wish. As their mattresses came together, Griffin stabilized the bed and Bianca turned her head to face her alluring wife.

"Anything else I can do for you two?"

Marissa replied without taking her eyes off of Bianca.

"Y-yeah…sorry… Can you m-move my arm?"

Griffin raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…"

Griffin, carefully, peeled the white sheet from Marissa's body and took a hold of her arm. Gently, he rolled her shoulder, releasing her arm's entrapment and circled it. He placed it above her head and rolled her forwards. He replaced the sheet and watched as Marissa's hand sought Bianca's. He smiled the moment he saw their fingers entwine.

"Okay you two. I'm going to be back in ten minutes and then, Marissa, you are going to get administered another dose, okay?"

"Yup…" She muttered.

Griffin left the room.

Bianca turned onto her side to face Marissa, never letting their hands part. Marissa could sense something was amiss with Bianca now that she could see her wife completely without needing to focus on pain at the same time. The brunette's eyes were pools that held sadness and guilt. She could see it in those chocolate orbs and she could feel it in the way Bianca grasped her hand, the way she held on...tightly; as if one of them would fall away.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Marissa asked.

Bianca simply shook her head.

"Nothing…"

"L-liar…"

"Nothing gets past you, huh?"

"N-nope… Tell m-me…"

"I'm just…I'm so sorry for getting you into this."

Marissa became confused.

"Th-this?"

"Yeah…this…" She noticed the unyielding puzzled look on Marissa's face. "You keep saving me and getting hurt. You've come close to death twice."

"H-hey… Y-you're not in-innocent in th-that either."

"What do you mean?"

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wheeeeere do you think you're going?" Bianca asked as she took a tender hold of Marissa's wrist who moved out of their bed. _

"_I'm going to go get you food. You're recovering and you need food for energy." Marissa reasoned. Bianca had been home only a week from the hospital and was bedridden. The stitches in her side were still fresh and minimal movement was demanded of her. _

"_Babe, I'm fine. Just come back here, please?" Bianca asked._

"_No-no-no. I'm going to get you what you need and what you need is food."_

"_No… What I need is you, now get back here!" Bianca pulled on Marissa's wrist tightly, willing her to climb back into their bed._

_Marissa watched Bianca who wore a serious, yet pleading look. The simple yet compelling words the brunette spoke had Marissa crumbling to nothing. She became weak under her girlfriend's gaze and powerless before her statements. There was nothing Marissa could except give in entirely, and that's what she did. She sat down at the edge of the bed, sliding her wrist from Bianca's grasp only to latch her hands onto her love's. _

"_What's wrong?" Bianca asked._

"_Nothing…"_

"_Liar."_

_Marissa chuckled._

"_Nothing gets past you, huh?"_

"_Nope…" Bianca replied. "Tell me." She watched as Marissa tensed up immensely and began to cry. "Oh my God. Baby, what's wrong?" Bianca shifted forward._

"_No! Don't move."_

"_Marissa…you're scaring me-"_

"_Good!" Marissa sighed and brought her hand to her face to wipe the tears that had fallen. "'Cause you scared me!"_

"_Wh-what?"_

_Marissa shifted closer to Bianca and brought her hands to her face, cupping them and bringing their faces closer together. She rand soft hands up Bianca's cheek and left tender paths to Bianca's neck with her finger tips. _

"_You scared me. You… You stood in front of me when J,R fired that gun. You took the bullet that was aimed for me… Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I saw you lying there? Lifeless? You weren't moving. You weren't talking. I was shouting for you and you didn't say anything." Marissa's tears had been falling freely now. Weeks of pent up fear, frustration and dread had been eating away at Marissa. The guilt she felt knowing that the love of her life had nearly died because of her was too much for her to bear. She was still in shock from everything and having Bianca alive in front of her was not something she was going to give up…for anyone. "You didn't say anything! You took a bullet for me! It nearly pierced your lungs! You almost died…twice! Twice! I screamed for you __**every**__ single time I heard that monitor flat-line!" _

_Bianca scooted closer to Marissa, wrapping her arms around her waist._

"_I am __**so**__ sorry-"_

"_You almost died! What would've happened then? What was I supposed to do then? You can't do that anymore! Okay? __**You**__ need to stay alive! Okay? Because I don't wanna know what my life is like without you." Her voice was cracking now as the desperation that motored her words took over. "I __**can't**__ know life without you. I won't do it! I __**can't**__ do it!"_

"_Shh, shh." Bianca said. She brought Marissa to her and cradled her head in her hands. Marissa buried her face in Bianca's shoulder as the brunette caressed her head. "I'm here… I'm here…" She pulled back. "Look at me." She forced Marissa back. "Look at me," Bianca said softly. She pecked Marissa's lips ardently. "I'm here." She leaned in once more, crashing her lips to the redhead's once more. She took her face in her hands. "I'm __**right**__ here. I'm not going anywhere." Bianca kissed Marissa more forcefully, causing the redhead to fall onto her back._

"_W-wait, Bianca… Your ribs-"_

"_I don't care…" She said. Bianca kissed Marissa once more with such lasciviousness that it caused the redhead's toes to curl. Bianca pulled back a bit, her lips still resting lightly on Marissa's. "I don't care… I only care about being with you…"_

"_I love you so much…"_

Bianca hardly noticed that Griffin had entered the room. She had been completely engrossed in Marissa's recollection of the aftermath of the shooting at the Chandler Mansion 10 years ago.

"Sorry, ladies, but it's time."

Griffin had completed his work, successfully giving Marissa her evening dose of anesthetics. Bianca watched as Griff exited the room and when she turned her attention back to the redhead, she found that her wife had passed out and was fast asleep. She noticed that Marissa's grip on her hand had remained. Smiling, Bianca sighed and brought said hand to her lips and kissed it before returning it to its spot between them.

"Guess everything else will have to wait," Bianca said. "I love you."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Yeah…I updated :P One more exam to go! But I had the itch to write and thought this chapter would be perfect. Hope you enjoyed!

Lyrics at the beginning in Binx's POV:  
>Wait – Sarah McLachlan<p> 


	24. Connections

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Miranda's POV**

I honestly don't know what I can tell you. Powers of recall are only so strong at certain moments or maybe the strength of such ability is always there…you just need to find the right key to unlock it. Each key serves as a trigger of sorts…a key that's on a ring _many_ keys and the struggle to find the right one is consuming…it consumes your every thought, every breath and every dream. It haunts you. The problem is that there are certain keys that fit into a lock, but they don't open the door that you wish it would. No. They fit a completely different keyhole and when you find the place it belongs to…a place where it fits and opens, it is _then_ those memories just shed themselves. And the connections it can make may surprise you.

'How is this possible?' you may ask. Well, if you had woken up every morning trying…no, _fighting_ to hold onto love – platonic or romantic – because your past is a nightmare that you can't run from; that you can't escape from, wouldn't _you_ hope that one door could be a passage to many others? Wouldn't _you_ want to be able to open as many doors as possible with so little?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa woke up feeling as if her back had been grated. The pain had become so intense over night that she could barely endure the pleasure of having to open her eyes and know who would be there next to her. She hadn't forgotten what happened when she woke up. She couldn't. There was no way possible that any amount of opiates could rip that from her. She felt the weight of Bianca's hand in her hold and the moment she opened her eyes, she let out a piercing yelp, causing her love's hand to be the one thing she held onto to keep her pain from excelling any more than it had.

Bianca woke with a jolt, sitting upright, the moment she heard it. A shout of pain so loud it penetrated the beauty of her dreams and pulled her into reality, a reality in which she knew very little of.

"Marissa?" She asked.

At that moment, Griffin entered the room and did his best to ease Marissa's pain. Within seconds of inserting a small dose of medication, the redhead felt an instant cooling sensation and found that she was able to open her eyes. Through the glistening tears that had escaped her tear ducts, Marissa saw Bianca's worried face through their blurry veil.

"Hey y-you." Marissa said through a foolish grin. Bianca breathed a sigh of relief and held onto her hand tighter.

"How are you feeling?"

"B-better now… D-did you t-talk to the k-kids?"

Bianca shifted herself to be closer to Marissa and nodded as she took her new position on colder sheets.

"Yeah… I uh…I spoke to Miranda a little while after you fell asleep. She made me promise to call her the minute _anything_ changed." The brunette chuckled lightly. "I think if it were up to her she wouldn't have left at all last night."

Marissa blinked softly and smirked.

"Yeah… Th-that's who she i-is…" Marissa sighed deeply. "J-just like her m-mother… H-her beautiful…s-strong mother…" Bianca blushed at her wife's comment. "Wh-what did she s-say?"

The brunette leaned forward and while one of her hands was preoccupied with gripping onto Marissa's so intensely, she willed her other hand to caress the redhead. Her slender, long fingers ran a soft and delicate path through the strands of Marissa's auburn locks and she slid her head closer to Marissa's, their noses barely an inch apart.

"She uh…" Bianca cleared her throat as she caught herself gazing far too vigourously into those entrancing hazel eyes. "She was _very_ happy to hear that you woke up. Her, Nathan and Sofia are staying with Kendall. AJ has even decided to stay with them. And Miranda says the twins are asking about you constantly… They're worried about you. And Gabby…Gabby's distraught…about you and-and the house. Mimo said that she cried over the phone and has been calling non-stop for updates."

"B-but…she has f-finals…d-doesn't she?"

Bianca nodded.

"Yeah… She said she's gonna finish them up and then come straight home."

"Good… I m-miss her."

"So do I."

Marissa found herself looking more intently at Bianca. She couldn't describe what she felt the more she looked at her. There was a longing weighing down the redhead's heart like an anchor plunging through the deep waters of an ocean.

_I miss you…_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"C'mon Junior! Wake up! We gotta go see Mommy and Momma is coming home today. C'mon! Wake up!"

Nathan had managed to climb up onto the bed that Miranda was occupying for the time being. It was her mother's former bedroom prior to them moving back to Paris with Reese. At the contact of little feet connecting with her abdomen, Miranda let out a loud groan of pain before she grabbed her pillow and playfully hit the 4 year old with it.

"Ouch!" Nathan shouted. "That huwrt!"

"So did you kicking me." She replied groggily.

"I didn't kick you! I slipped and stepped on you."

"'Cause _that_ makes it better."

There was a knock at the door. The two siblings looked in its direction and saw Zach leaning in the doorway.

"G'morning sleepy head. Sleep well?" Zach asked as his scruffy voice sounded more proclaimed.

"Hey Uncle Zach!" Nathan exclaimed. He jumped off the bed and ran to the man in the doorway. He jumped into his waiting arms and began to mess up his hair.

"Hey! Hey! Nathan! C'mon now!"

"It's payback Uncle Zach!"

Zach pulled Nathan away from his chest, holding the four year old out before him. Nathan's legs dangled as Zach look past him to Miranda who wore a tired smirk.

"Payback? For what?"

"Fowr always messing up my haiwr!"

"Gah! I see! Well, your Aunt Kendall has breakfast ready." Zach said putting Nathan down on solid ground.

"Yeaaaah!" The young child yelled with excitement. He rushed passed Zach.

"I guess that's one way to get the kid excited, huh?" Zach said as he looked to Miranda.

"Kid loves breakfast." Miranda said.

"Just like his sister." Zach winked at the young lady who was still trying to wake up fully.

"What?"

"You were like that at his age, you know?" Zach stated as he moved further into the room and sat on the edge of Miranda's bed. He took in the sight of his niece so early in the morning and couldn't help but notice the dark circles that had made a home beneath her eyes. He could still smell the scent of burning ash on her even with the regular showers she took. Zach had always felt responsible for Miranda because of the cruel fate his brother had forced upon the girl. Any moment he could get alone with her was cherished to him.

"I was?" She asked, scrunching her eyebrows together.

"Oh yeah. You couldn't get enough of that cereal uh…the one with the leprechaun on it!"

Miranda sniggered.

"'Lucky Charms?'"

"Yeah! That's it!"

"Uh Uncle Zach? I _still_ can't get enough of 'Lucky Charms'." She answered with a wide grin.

"Ahh, right! …Well we _don't_ have those this morning, but how does chocolate chip pancakes sound to ya?"

"Sounds good," she said through a strained grin.

"Okay then… But before you mow down on your Aunt's cooking…are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look…exhausted. And thinner! Have you been eating properly?"

Miranda chuckled softly and shook her head at her uncle's antics.

"I look exhausted because I _am_ exhausted. And yes, Uncle Zach, I _have_ been eating properly-"

"Like what? And cereal doesn't count!"

Miranda looked at Zach and could see the worry in his eyes. Of course he was worried, why wouldn't he be? The young woman knew what she meant to Zach and she knew what Zach meant to her. He was the father she never had. There had been plenty of times while she was growing up that she had found comfort in Zach, especially if her mother or Kendall were nowhere to be found. There were multiple times before Marissa had entered the picture that Miranda sough Zach out for advice. He always gave it willingly and honestly and _never_ persuaded her into what he believed was right. He respected her and knew her well enough that she would make the right decision. He trusted her and she trusted him. There was no one like her Uncle Zach.

"Okay…I may have missed a couple of meals yesterday while I was at the hospital, _but_ it's only because I've been so worried about Mom, okay?"

"Which one?"

"Both!" Miranda said without skipping a beat. She reached for Zach's hand and he looked at her. "I _promise_, today _no_ skipping anything. Heck I'll even have snacks that are 1500 calories if that'll help. Okay?"

Zach smirked.

"You think you're funny, don'tcha?"

"Oh, I know I am!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"And that's everything Ms. Montgomery. You're officially discharged."

Bianca smiled at Griffin as she signed the papers. The bed had been rolled out of Marissa's room and now, Bianca sat on the cushioned chair by the redhead's bed.

"As for you, Mrs. Tasker, that bed I told you about last night will be coming in shortly. It's a lot like a massage table so you should be comfortable and your neck won't be twisted and whatnot. It'll be forward, staring at the floor."

"The f-floor?"

"Yeah," Griffin said with a tone of sympathy is his voice. "It's the only downside."

"I have t-to look at a floor for the next t-two to three weeks?"

"Riss-" Bianca started. _"__I love you. Okay? And I don't care how much you push; I'm a wall when it comes to you. It doesn't matter how much you push me away; I won't budge. I won't move a single inch. You are it for me. People search for a lifetime trying to find who they're supposed to spend their lives with, who their soul mates are. I'm done searching. This is where I belong… You are where I belong." _Bianca shook her head. _What the…?_

"N-no, no! I'll go i-insane."

"Marissa-" Bianca tried again.

"Wh-what if I don't want i-it?" Marissa asked Dr. Castillo.

"It's gonna be _very_ painful if you don't. Not for your back, for you neck."

"Riss, please? Do it."

Marissa looked at Bianca as if she were seeing her for the first time. The nickname that had leaked from her lips had an urgency in them that Marissa hadn't heard coming out of Bianca until now…or she had heard it and didn't register its meaning.

"I'll be here everyday. I'll lie down on the floor if I have to. Please? I just want you to get better. Please?" Bianca had barely experienced a true form of fear of losing Marissa. The coma had lasted just over 24 hours, but even though it was a short period of time, Bianca was terrified to her very core. She was scared of never being able to tell Marissa what she truly felt; afraid of never looking into those hazel eyes ever again; panicked that it was too late…

"_I love you. Okay? And I don't care how much you push; I'm a wall when it comes to you. It doesn't matter how much you push me away; I won't budge. I won't move a single inch. You are it for me. People search for a lifetime trying to find who they're supposed to spend their lives with, who their soul mates are. I'm done searching. This is where I belong… You are where I belong."_

_Damn it. What is that?_ Bianca thought.

"Please?" She asked Marissa again.

There was that sound of desperation again that Marissa had been certain she heard before.

"Tell you what," Griff said. "I have a patient I need to go check on. Why don't you two talk this over and have a decision made by the time I get back?"

Marissa hadn't torn her eyes away from Bianca's.

"Do it." She said.

"What?" He asked.

"Bring me the other bed…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

There was a knock on the Slater Household door. Hearing it from the kitchen, Zach excused himself to answer it. On the other side of it stood Brot.

"G'morning Chief." Zach said politely.

"Good morning Mr. Slater."

Zach moved aside, offering Brot to enter the house.

"C'mon now. You know me well enough to call me 'Zach'."

"Right. Sorry. I just need to speak to Miranda Montgomery."

"Who needs to talk to Junior?"

Kendall had emerged from the kitchen slowly. When Zach turned to face her, she caught a full view of Brot standing there. She couldn't comprehend what his intentions were by the look on his face. Not wanting anything to go any further with the kids still in the house, Kendall began to call them.

"AJ!"

"Yeah Aunt Kendall?" The blonde poked his head out of the kitchen doorway.

"Could you get the kids together and get them to school?"

"Sure thing." He replied.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"So uh…while you still have an hour to look at things…is there anything you wanna look at? Watch TV or something?"

Marissa chuckled as she closed her eyes momentarily and brought Bianca's hand to her mouth. She grazed her lips gently on the brunette's knuckles and opened her eyes.

"I'd r-rather look at you, if you d-don't mind."

Bianca smiled. She turned a bright shade of red and sighed.

"No. No, I don't mind, but I _will_ be lying on that hospital floor for the next two weeks. I wouldn't want you to get bored of my face before you have a chance to heal."

Marissa feigned shock.

"M-me? Bored of you? N-not possible!"

Bianca ran her hand over Marissa's face softly.

"So…you're not the _teeniest_ bit curious as to what's happening in the world?"

Marissa groaned.

"Y-you were gonna make me w-watch the news? Seriously? And h-here I was hoping for 'Th-the Three Stooges' or something."

Bianca smirked and leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on Marissa's pouting lips.

"We will…"

Marissa grinned and licked her lips, savouring her wife's taste on her mouth.

"O-okay… You win."

Bianca laughed and turned the television set. The daily news had shown up immediately and the sound entered the room peacefully through the speakers.

"_Well, the storm's not over yet, but uh…never touched down the same place twice, right?"_

"…_I'll take your word for it."_

_What was that?_ Bianca thought. She could only hear two voices. One she knew was hers for sure, but the other…? _Was that Zach?_

"_Well, the storm's not over yet, but uh…never touched down the same place twice, right?"_

"…_I'll take your word for it."_

_That's Zach alright!_

Marissa wasn't watching the television. She couldn't care less about what was happening in the world at that particular moment in time. Her eyes were glued to Bianca's face. The rest of the world could wait.

Bianca tried to focus on the news, but she felt her wife's gaze boring into her. Without even moving to see if she was correct in her judgment, Bianca chuckled.

"You're staring." She said. She heard Marissa exhale.

"And?"

"It's creepy." Bianca smiled teasingly at Marissa as she turned her head.

"N-ot from where I am…"

"Such a charmer, aren't you?"

"_Well, the storm's not over yet, but uh…never touched down the same place twice, right?"_

"…_I'll take your word for it."_

"And a tornado touched down outside…"

Bianca turned her attention back to the screen as she heard the word 'tornado.' The news crew had been surveying the area, broadcasting the damages. She watched as they caught footage of homes being completely shattered in every sense of the word.

All at once, she felt herself being pulled into darkness and just before the lights in the room dimmed into a stormy surrounding, complete with gusty winds, she heard Marissa calling for her. She was in pain…searing; mind-numbing pain and she couldn't help but let out a groan and what follwed were a series of laboured breaths as she remembered to try to keep a steady heart rate.

"_I can see the head… I can see the shoulders… A-and the cord is there too-"_

"_Oeeh…no, no… Okay, okay, okay uh-Reese and I learned about this. Umm-you gotta…push the baby's head back-"_

"_I gotta what?-"_

"_Push it-push it back! You have to take pressure off the cord…"_

"_Okay."_

"_Okay. Ahh! …Okay, is the cord wrapped around the baby's neck?"_

"_I think it is-"_

"_Ahh, you gotta get it off! Y-you gotta use your fingers. Lift it off-Hurry-!"_

"_Alright!-"_

"_Hurry!-"_

"_I'm trying!-"_

"_Hurry-hurry Zach! Hurry please!"_

"_I'm doing it!"_

"_Ahh!"_

…

"_The cord is free-"_

"_Okay-"_

"_Push! …PUSH! …C'mon!"_

"_Ahh!"_

"_I can see the head… And the shoulders-keep pushing! …Keep pushing!"_

"_Pfooooo-"_

"_There it is! There it is! There it is, it's come. Theeere."_

"_Ahh!"_

"_Aww… Hiii! Okay…look at that! …It's a beautiful little girl! It's a little girl, hi!"_

…

"_This has been the worst day… But I take one look at you and I forget about everything."_

…

"_Hey little girl… I've got someone that I want you to meet… Say 'hello' to your other mom…"_

…

"_She really does need a name you guys."_

"_Uh, y-yeah-"_

"_She does… You do, don't you? …Well, I was thinking about names on the flight."_

"_Oh! Great uh, I was too. You go first."_

"_Well…what do you still think of Dylan? 'Cause it works for a boy or a girl."_

"_Oh…yeah… That's really cool!"_

"_Huuuuh…"_

"_No, it is! It's cool. It's strong. It's…artistic-"_

"_Oh! Wonderful. Okay!"_

"_No-"_

"_Yeah… What was the name you had?"_

"_Actually-uh…Zach was the one who suggested it, but I think it's- …Gabrielle."_

"Bianca? B-Bianca? You okay? B-baby, talk to me."

"Huh?"

Bianca looked at Marissa who was watching her with extreme care and worry.

"You w-were muttering s-something."

"M-Marissa…I-I remember!"

The redhead's face grew hopeful.

"Wh-what? What do you remember?"

"Gabby! …I need a phone. I need to call her!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Kendall and Miranda walked down the hallway of Pine Valley Hospital. When they reached Marissa's room, Bianca was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Binx?" Kendall asked.

Marissa pointed out the doorway and, sure enough, there was Bianca by the Nurse's Station chatting on the phone. She had a wide smile on her face and the glint in her eyes showed relaxation and contentment.

"Who she talking to?"

"Your s-sister." Marissa replied.

"Gabby?" Miranda asked.

"Yup. Sh-she remembered her a-and wanted to talk to her right away."

"How long has she been on the phone for?" Kendall asked.

"'Bout h-half an hour." Marissa coughed for a moment then looked at Kendall and Miranda. "Y-you need to talk to her?"

"Y-yeah." Miranda said. She took a hold of Marissa's hand and gave her a small smile.

"Brot came by the house this morning."

"B-Brot? Why? This a-about the house?"

"Not exactly…" Kendall muttered under her breath.

Marissa looked down at Miranda's hand holding hers. She felt it tremble in her palm and reached upward to hold onto the young woman's wrist.

"Your p-pulse is racing… M-Miranda, what's going on?"

"I'll just wait outside…" Kendal said before she ran off into the hallway.

Miranda and Marissa were left alone. The brunette despised that she would have to be the one to break this to Marissa. Brot's visit certainly couldn't have come at a worse time, but Miranda knew what had to be done and she also knew that if she didn't tell her mother now, she never would.

"Uh…Brot came to Kendall's and Zach's this morning-"

"Y-yeah. I got that, but wh-why was he there?"

"Uh…it's about M-mom's case."

"D-did he find the son of a b-bitch who did this?"

"He thinks so… He came to the house because he had a warrant to search the pool house."

Marissa scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"P-pool house? B-but _Tammy_ used to live in there. Wh-"

"Exactly…" Miranda could feel the swarm of knots in her stomach becoming more and more tangled. This wasn't how she wanted to tell her mother.

"Uh…a couple of days ago…actually about a week before the fire, uh, I went into Tammy's…I went into the pool house and I snooped around a bit-"

"Y-you did what?-"

"Tammy had threatened that she wouldn't be gone for good. I found a box and inside of it there was this pouch. Inside the pouch were Mom's wedding band and engagement ring!"

"Wh-what?"

Marissa felt her stomach drop and her heart sink into a black hole that she was certain was consuming her body. She didn't want to be here. She couldn't be here. This wasn't where she wanted to be. She didn't believe the words that had come out of Miranda's mouth. She _couldn't_ believe them because then that would mean… _It's __**my**__ fault…_

The tears were prickling her eyes. The burning sensation that infiltrated her as tears formed within her field of vision was powerful. The injury that was evident and exposed on her back couldn't amount to the all-consuming guilt and rage that was building inside of her.

Miranda sighed.

"When I found them…I took them to Brot… He had already been making a case against her and Robert Collins. The rings were just the icing on the cake."

Marissa had somehow found her voice.

"S-so…why do you need B-Bianca?"

"Uh…Brot needs the owner of the house to allow him onto the property. Your name and Mom's names are on the deed and…seeing as how you're bedridden and Mom is discharged, he needs her there… And I promised that I'd go with her…"

Marissa could hear nothing else as the moisture that had formed in her eyes was now falling down her face; taking their course one by one, slowly, serving as a reminder of the offense that she allowed her wife to fall victim to.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Thank you for your time ladies. I dunno how long this is gonna take so make yourselves comfortable…" Brot surveyed their surroundings as the colonial house that once stood so tall and strong, now lay in a heap of piled ashes. "…If you can." He finished.

Miranda looked over at Bianca who still needed some help moving around. The burn on her leg wasn't severe enough that she required constant attention for it, but it still hurt her when she walked. The younger Montgomery took a hold of her mother's waist and led them to a nearby wall that they could easily sit on that overlooked the swimming pool. Miranda helped Bianca onto it and then lifted herself up. Once comfortable, their legs were left to dangle a couple of inches away from the cement ground.

"_99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer."_

Bianca shook her head at the voice.

"You okay?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine."

Miranda gave Bianca a smile.

"So uh… You remember Gabby, huh?"

Bianca smiled and nodded.

"Yeah…her birth, naming her. It's amazing! …Terrible that she was born during that tornado though…"

A laugh slipped from Miranda's lips.

"What?" Bianca asked. "What's so funny?"

"I just find it hilarious that…"

"…Yeah?"

Miranda turned to Bianca.

"…That both of your daughters were born on days that natural disasters struck Pine Valley."

The 19 year old laughed even more when she saw her mother's mouth form a large 'O' from the shock.

"S-seriously?"

"Yuuup!"

"What happened on the day you were born?"

Miranda pointed to herself.

"Me? …Well, it was a severe thunderstorm that could have easily been classified as a hurricane… Yeah…that strong."

"_99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer."_

"99 bottles of beer on the wall…" Bianca muttered.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"I thought you said something." Miranda said.

"Nah I was just…" Bianca took a deep breath. "This song is stuck in my head…"

"Which one?"

"99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer…" When Miranda smirked and simply stared at her, she continued. "If one of those bottles should happen to fall-"

"Then that's a waste of alcohol!"

Bianca smiled at Miranda's rhyme and nudged her softly.

"Sorry Mom…if one of those bottle should happen to fall, 98 bottles of beer on the wall. 98 bottles of beer on the wall, 98 bottles of beer…"

"_99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer."_

…

"_You can do this, just one push, c'mon!"_

"_Please don't make me do it again."_

"_Kay, okay. You think of her. Miranda wants to see her mommy, now give it all you've got! Ready? Now! Push! …Oh! Oh Bianca! Here she comes… Oooh she's here! She…you're right, she's gorgeous…in a covered in goop kinda way but she really is gorgeous!"_

"_Is..is she alright? Is she okay?"_

"_Fingers and toes and all the little baby parts. They're all here!"_

…

"_Hi little Miranda! …Hiii! Hey there, it's Mommy… Look at you… You're so…you're so perfect… I love you!"_

…

"_Miranda…"_

…

"_Babe had her baby too?"_

…

"_There was a problem…with the helicopter…"_

"_What kind of problem?"_

"_It crashed, Bianca."_

"_Oh my God… Tell me Babe is okay!"_

"_She's here, she's here in the hospital. The doctors are treating her-"_

"_Kendall, after everything that Babe did for me…for me and my baby, she needs to be okay."_

"_She will be… She's going to be just fine…"_

"_Thank God… Babe is so strong… Kendall…Miranda's okay, right? …Kendal, answer me… Was Miranda hurt? …Uh y-you have to take me to her-if Miranda was hurt then she needs me-she her mother! Y-you have to take me to her-"_

"_No-"_

"_You have to take me to her-Kendall-"_

"_No-no!-"_

"_Kendall! You-"_

"_Bianca! No! Bianca, I can't…I __**can't**__ take you to her-"_

"_What?-"_

"'_Kay-"_

"_Kendall!-"_

"_No, listen to me! Listen! …Bianca…M-Miranda's gone… She's gone… She's never gonna be hurt…never going to be hurt or scared ever again, okay? …She's with Mona now… She's warm and she's safe in Mona's arms."_

"…_No…No, no, no…no… No, no, Kendall, no. No! No, I dunno who told you that but it's not true…"_

"_Bianca, listen to me-"_

"_No, no, no, no, no she was here… She was with me-she was inside me-she can't just be gone."_

"_Please, please, Bianca I'm so sorry-"_

"_No! No, no don't say you're sorry. Just tell me where my baby is!"_

"_She's with Mona-"_

"_NooOOoo-Kendall, stop it, okay! Stop it, Grandma is… Okay, Miranda is not with Mon- She's __**not**__ with Grandma, it's __**not**__ possible! …Okay, you-you weren't there. You-you don't know what I told her, Kendall, you… See, I told her that-that…that I would always love her and I would always keep her __**safe**__. Okay? I-I told her that I would never walk away and you can't make me walk-YOU CAN'T MAKE ME WALK AWAY FROM HER NOW!-"_

…

"_Just go out there and BRING HER TO ME NOW!"_

"_I can't! Don't you understand me! I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO BRING HER BACK TO YOU, I would! I would, but I can't!"_

…

"_No, just-just stay here Bianca, just stay here!-"_

"_No, no, no don't ask me to stay here, I can't stand-"_

"_Please, stay!"_

"_No, Kendall! I don't exist without her, I don't! I don't! I don't! Look at me. I'm here. Look at me, I'm still here. I'm still here, so Miranda can't be gone! …If-if she-if she… MIR-MIRANDA! MIRANDA! MIRANDA! MIRANDA! OH GOD! OH NO! NO-NO-NO-NO!"_

…

"_We gotta get out of here now. You've got to get that DNA test…so you can prove to the whole world who she really is…"_

"_Miranda… My baby… You kept her from me?"_

"…_Yes… I kept her from you…"_

…

"_Yes! Yes, Sweetheart, open your eyes! Look at your baby! Look at Miranda! Yes, honey, open your eyes! …Bianca? ...Yes…oh, Sweetheart, yes! Yes, Sweetheart! …It's okay…"_

"_Miranda?"_

"_Yes, Sweetie, your Miranda! …Yes honey!"_

…

"Mom? Mom?"

Miranda found her mother caught in a daze when she had made it to 68 bottles of beer and placed her hands on Bianca's upper arm, shaking her gently.

"Mom?" Bianca blinked and looked to Miranda. "Phew. Thought I lost you for a minute there… You okay?"

"Miranda…"

"Uh…yeah?"

"Miranda… Oh, Miranda!"

Bianca enveloped her daughter in her arms and squeezed her tightly. She brought her hand to the young woman's head as tears fell freely down her face.

"This is Chief Brot Monroe!"

The two ladies immediately steered their attention to Brot as he emerged from the pool house, speaking rather loudly into his two-way radio.

"I want a warrant for the arrest of one Tamara Hendersen for the abduction of Bianca Christine Montgomery!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

SCHOOL IS DONE! What did you guys think?

Lotsa love!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	25. Relief

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Gabby's POV**

I've always heard how parents fear being woken up in the middle of the night by the phone only to hear from the other that their child has been badly injured and taken to the hospital. Or even woken up at some random hour by a forceful yet sympathetic knock on the door to find out that their child has died in an accident or what not. But have parents ever thought about what would have happened if things were the other way around? Do you know what it's like to be a child and have to be trying to focus on studying for final exams, but all you can think of is whether or not the two women who raised you and have become the most important people to you in your life will live? Not to mention, add the fact that the house you've called home for most of your life is practically burned to the ground (actually half of it), have you thought about that? Now add this – you're so far away that there isn't anything you can do about it. By the time you race back to your hometown, it may be too late…

Is there a better feeling than the one you get when you get a phone call, expecting even more bad news only to hear your older sister say that everything is okay? That both of your parents are alive; that they will heal? The relief you feel is incredible isn't it? That incredible release from the clutches of anxiety is enough to make you feel like the luckiest person on the face of the planet. However, it seems as if that even in those times of relief that being alone isn't the greatest way to receive such great news. I think it's always best to have someone there with you…whatever the case may be.

_These times will try hard to define me  
>And I'll try to hold my head up high<br>But I've seen despair here from the inside  
>It's got a one-track mind<br>And I have this feeling in my gut now  
>And I don't know what it is I'll find<br>Does anybody ever feel like  
>You're always one step behind<br>Now I'm sitting alone here in my bed  
>I'm waiting for an answer I don't know that I'll get<br>I cannot stand to look in the mirror  
>I'm failing<br>I'm telling you these times are hard  
>But they will pass<em>

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Gabrielle Montgomery had never known what she wanted out of life. She was 14… Who knew what the _really_ wanted at that age, especially for their future? She did know – this is why she was an exception. Gabby was certain of what she wanted of herself for her future. She was going to be a lawyer, but as she attempted to study for her history final, she couldn't help but hear her sister's voice in her head.

_Half the house is burned to the ground… Mom's in a coma… _

Nothing could have prepared her for that phone call and it had kept her from being able to focus on her class materials the entire time. She was about halfway through her textbook and had been reading the same paragraph for the last two hours before her cell phone had buzzed on her desk. She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath as she saw Miranda's photo pop up. She answered it quickly.

"Mimo?"

"Hey Gabz… I just got a call from Mom…"

"And?" Gabby asked in distress.

"She woke up. She's gonna be fine."

The younger Montgomery let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank God!"

"Yeah… I'm sorry if I worried you-"

"You kidding? I would've never have forgiven you if you didn't call in the first place."

"Okay... You gonna-?"

"I'll be fine. I should finish this up here and then get to bed. Is everyone else okay? You? Mom?"

Gabby could hear Miranda chuckle lightly through the receiver.

"Yes, we're all fine. Other than a few really bad burns on my arm, I'm my normal self. And Mom, she's hopping around a bit. She burned her leg a bit so she's finding it a bit hard to walk, but she'll get the hang of it in a couple of days."

"Good…"

Miranda could hear the distance in Gabby's voice.

"Are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good. Just kinda need to focus on school right now."

"Right. Okay well, I'll let you get back to studying. G'night Gabz."

"G'night Mimo… Love you."

"Love you too."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca did her best to walk over to the Nurse's Station. The burn on her leg hurt her with every step she took. The light stomp of her foot caused multiple vibrations to travel up her shins. Once she was there, she asked the nurse on duty if could use the telephone. With a smile on her face, Bianca was allowed access to the phone and, from memory, she dialed Gabby's cell phone number. She stood there, waiting anxiously and completely ignoring the tingling in her leg. She had _finally_ remembered something that made her feel content and something that she was certain of by the time she returned to reality.

"Hello?" Asked a groggy voice.

"Gabby."

"Mom?"

"Yes, baby, it's me. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"N-no…I mean, yeah, you did, but it's okay. What's wrong? Are you okay? Is Mom okay?" Gabby asked, suddenly awake and worried.

"No, no everything's fine. I just… I wanted to hear your voice… I miss you around here."

Gabby smiled and sighed.

"I miss you too."

"Yeah… Especially now, I mean… How am I supposed to talk to my baby girl about what I missed out on these past three years? I only have the memories from before that…"

Bianca let her words hang, waiting for Gabby to say something.

"Wh-what? Are…are you serious?"

Bianca smiled and chuckled.

"Why would I joke about something like remembering your Uncle Zach deliver you right after a tornado in Pine Valley?"

"Wh-?"

"Or naming you after his mom… Reese wanting to name you Dylan."

"Oh…oh my God… Y-you… Hi Mom."

"Hi Monster…"

Gabby laughed lightly at the nickname Bianca used for her. She remembered when Marissa had begun to call her that and it really stuck. Her mother had started to call her that as well. When Gabby had asked Marissa the reason why the name suited her, the redhead explained that it was the name her own mother used for her. Even though she was closer to her father, Marissa and Lydia had created a world of their own filled with homework sessions and bedtime stories. Marissa's favourite story growing up had been a self-written Lydia Tasker original titled "The Little Monster," which had been loosely based on young Marissa's habits. Gabby recalled loving the story herself growing up and even the name when her other mother had started to refer to her as 'my little monster.'

"Hi Mom… What else do you remember?"

"A lot…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"86 bottles of beer on the wall, 86 bottles of beer…"

Miranda had been singing along with Bianca, sitting on the small stone wall surrounding the pool, waiting for Brot to come out of the pool house that Tammy had recently vacated. She was too lost in her own thoughts to even register that her mother had stopped singing along with her. She could only see the look of pain and guilt embedded in her mother's eyes and on her face from an hour earlier when she had told Marissa about Tammy's connection to Bianca's abduction. That image haunted her and would probably torment Miranda for the rest of her life.

"_You p-promised to go with her? So…you two have to l-leave when?"_

"_Uh…in a couple of minutes. I wanted to see you first… See how you were doing-"_

"_And tell me, basically, th-that the fact that my wife was kidnapped, held hostage and __**nearly**__ -bbeaten to death was my fault?"_

"_No! Mom, no, don't you __**dare**__ blame yourself for this!" Miranda said with a sense of urgency in her voice. She knew what telling Marissa what she knew would do; cause an unending wormhole of guilt and regret to form within her mother._

"_How c-can't I? I'm the reason Tammy came into our lives in the f-first place."_

"_That's not true!"_

"_Maybe not, but I-I __**am**__ the reason she got so a-attached."_

"_Attached?" Bianca asked as she hobbled back into the room. When she noticed Miranda, she smiled. "Good morning Mimo. Sleep okay?"_

_Miranda nodded._

"_As well as I could. You?"_

_Bianca looked at Marissa and smirked, however when she noticed the empty look on her face, she became worried. _

"_Marissa?" Bianca rushed over to her wife's bedside. "What's wrong?"_

_Miranda stood in a corner, simply watching the scene before her play out._

"_N-nothing… Just seems as if the universe keeps screwing m-me over."_

_Bianca grabbed Marissa's hand, who pulled it away instantly._

"_I'm sorry… Wh-what…what do you mean?"_

_Marissa looked at Bianca with a worried look in her eyes._

"_I'm too terrified to even say it…"_

"…_Tell me…"_

_Marissa reached forward and ran a fingertip softly against Bianca's chin._

"_L-Later… You have to be somewhere right now."_

_Bianca looked over to Miranda confused._

"_Brot got the warrant… It has to be today because Tammy could come back to get whatever if we wait too long."_

_Bianca nodded then turned back to Marissa._

"_I don't wanna leave you here alone."_

_Marissa chuckled and let out a slight cough before she took a deep breath that caused her a little bit of pain. _

"_D-don't worry… I'll be al-alright."_

_Bianca placed her hand lovingly against Marissa's temple and brushed the auburn hair back with a lithe, yet graceful hand. She repeated the motion three times before letting out an affectionate sigh and leaned forward so their eyes were leveled with one another._

"_I'll be back the moment everything is over… I promised to lie down on that floor, remember?" Bianca asked with a smile._

_Marissa didn't return it. She simply blinked softly and nodded._

"_Yeah…"_

_The brunette leaned forward and kissed Marissa's cheek softly, letting her lips linger before she whispered._

"_Be back soon…"_

"69 bottles of beer on the wall, 69 bottles of beer, if one of those bottles should happen to fall 68…" Miranda looked at Bianca, who had been lost in a trance of sorts.

"Mom? Mom?" She reached and placed a caring hand on her mother's upper arm and gently shook it. "Mom?" Bianca blinked and looked to Miranda. "Phew. Thought I lost you for a minute there… You okay?"

"Miranda…" Bianca felt as if she had just experienced an epiphany and stared wide-eyed at her daughter.

"Uh…yeah?" She asked with a confused smile.

"Miranda… Oh, Miranda!"

Bianca enveloped her daughter in her arms and squeezed her tightly. She brought her hand to the young woman's head as tears fell freely down her face. Miranda was puzzled at the even that had just occurred, but as her mother pulled back, she hoped for some answers to her unasked questions. Bianca took Miranda's face in her hands and just examined her face.

"You're so beautiful and you grew up! Oh my God."

Miranda raised her eyebrows as a realization overthrew her.

"M-Mom…are you saying that-?"

"I will _always_ love you and I will _always_ keep you safe. I will _never_ walk away from you and if _anyone ever_ tries to take you away from me _ever_ again, I will personally make their lives a living hell. I love you so much… You _and_ your sister are my world."

"This is Chief Brot Monroe!"

The two ladies immediately steered their attention to Brot as he emerged from the pool house, speaking rather loudly into his two-way radio.

"I want a warrant for the arrest of one Tamara Hendersen for the abduction of Bianca Christine Montgomery!"

Miranda hopped off of the wall when she heard Brot speak. Before running over to him, she helped Bianca off of the wall, steadying her before turning to the Chief of Police. Mike Morris came out behind him hold three different bags.

"Brot!" Miranda exclaimed running up to him. "What did you find?"

"A map of all the locations your mother was trapped in, those rare gloves whose fibers we found in the locket and this," Brot said holding up a sheet of paper.

"A hospital bill?" Miranda asked.

"Not just any hospital bill. It's a bill for treatment of bruised ribs and a broken fibula dated around the same time Bianca said that they started blindfolding her."

"And that's pertinent because…?"

Brot looked Miranda with a look that seemed to shout at her, asking her to think…

And think she did.

She thought hard and suddenly, she remembered her mother's statement…

"_T__hey only decided to blind me after I attacked one of them. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, their voice was being altered. They were torturing me… I managed to find something behind me. It felt like a broken pipe. With any strength I had I managed to hit them twice: once in the ribs and once in the leg."_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**One week later**

"You keep avoiding it Marissa," Bianca stated as she lay down to gaze up at her wife's prepossessing features. "We have to talk about it."

"I don't want to."

Marissa had been placed into the bed that she was promised. She remained lying on her stomach and had yet to move from her position on the bed. For most of the past week after Brot had begun his search for Tammy, Marissa had rarely lifted her head from out of the donut shaped hole where her face rested. Bianca had stayed true to her word, lying down under the bed so Marissa wouldn't go insane staring at floor tiles the entire time. However, as much as Bianca wanted to help Marissa, she found that it was becoming very difficult. The redhead had voiced her fear, guilt and remorse when Bianca returned with Miranda a week earlier. She apologized profusely for bringing Tammy into their lives so intimately. The brunette had to keep reassuring her wife that it wasn't her fault…that she wasn't the one to blame; that Tammy had a mind of her own, albeit psychopathic, and no one forced the blonde into snatching her.

But despite her best efforts, Bianca found herself unable to remove the self-condemnation that filled Marissa.

"But we have to… We can't move forward if this is how it's going to be."

Marissa closed her eyes, wanting to remove or keep herself from seeing the pleading look on Bianca's face. She had to remain solemn in this situation and that look of longing the brunette gave her would have her fail in that endeavour.

She was about to reply when she heard a knock fill the room.

"Bianca?"

Marissa opened her eyes and watched as her wife lifted her head to look to the door. She sighed. _Of course_ Marissa thought.

"That Maggie?" She asked.

Bianca looked up at her and nodded.

"Yeah," she breathed out.

"I'm sorry to intrude like this." Maggie said. Marissa could hear the tentative footsteps in the room. "I was just wondering if I cold speak to Bianca quickly."

"Go ahead." Marissa said.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

He was free.

He was finally free.

J.R Chandler stood as the doors to the detention centre opened up, letting him walk into the sunlight for the first time in years without any boundaries and there was only one thing he wanted to do.

Call AJ.

He got into a cab and headed for the nearest diner so he could use the telephone. On the way he watched as the world passed by – trees never seemed greener and the roads never seemed smoother to him before in his life.

_Today_ he thought. _Today, I make things right with my son._

The cab pulled up to a diner just off of the freeway, a couple of towns outside of Pine Valley. He knew the risks that came with his freedom; the staring, the whispering, the image of being a demon – all of it, he was aware of it, but he accepted it. It was the way things were and how he allowed them to develop.

"Keep the meter running," JR said to the driver as he opened the door. "I just have to make a quick phone call."

Exiting the car, he walked over to the entrance of the restaurant and when he reached the hostess's station, he flashed a charming smirk at the young brunette who stood behind a table.

"I was wondering if you had any pay phones around? And if not, would you mind entirely if I used yours? I'm willing to pay for using it."

"Well, we don't have any pay phones, but here. Use this."

The young lady turned the diner's phone towards J.R.

"Thank you," he said smiling.

He dialed the familiar phone number and waited, patiently.

"Hello?" AJ said, perplexed.

"AJ?" J.R's ears were met with silence. "…AJ? You there?"

AJ sighed.

"What do you want?"

"I…I just wanna talk."

"About?"

J.R sighed, hoping his son would listen to him.

"I got let out today. I'm on parole…and I _really_ wanna see you."

"How many times are we gonna do this dance Dad? I told you that I'm not interested in anything you have to say-"

"P-please, AJ. I swear to you that I've changed. All I'm asking for is _one_ chance. Just_ one_ more chance to prove to you that I have changed and that I can be the father that you deserve… One who should have been there for you growing up and one who can get through everything that I couldn't get through all those years ago." He heard the silence again and prayed that his words weren't going unheard or his prayers unanswered. "Please…just…just meet me. Please hear me out?"

"…Where are you?"

"A couple of towns over in a diner called 'Gordo's'… You know it?"

"Yeah, I know it. But I won't see you there."

J.R exhaled heavily.

"Where then?"

"Here…in Pine Valley."

He let out another breath, but this time, it was one of relief.

"I'll be there in half an hour."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca followed Maggie into the hallways of Pine Valley Hospital, never tearing her eyes away from Marissa's lying form.

"Bianca?"

"Huh?"

Maggie looked at the brunette through contemplative eyes. They had been standing outside of Marissa's room for nearly 2 minutes and Bianca had yet to rip her gaze from the redhead lying on her stomach.

"Oh s-sorry."

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" Maggie said somewhat dejected.

"Of course I am," Bianca said looking at Maggie momentarily before crossing her arms and peering back into the room. "She's the love of my life."

"So…there really is nothing left for us."

Bianca shook her head.

"I'm afraid not."

Maggie sighed. She was upset and she decided then and there that she wasn't going down without a fight.

"So that's it then? What about these last few months? They happened, you know? And we were _happy_!"

"No! _You, you_ were happy! Me? I was trying to figure everything out! Every time I was with you, yes I felt something more than friendship, but as strong as what I felt for you was, when I'd get home, my mind went straight to Marissa. I'm_ married_ to her. We have a family, a life-"

"So _that's_ why you chose her? Because of the kids? Bianca you'll _never_ be happy if that's the only reason-"

"It was only _part _of the reason Maggie! I _love_ Marissa… I love her _so_ much! And I haven't had a moment to tell her that because-"

"Because you're not sure, Bianca-"

"No! That's _not_ it! _She _is what I want, she's who I need… You know what? I don't have to explain this to you-"

"Is everything okay here?"

Bianca breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Miranda's voice. The 19 year old had stepped off of the elevator to find her mother and Maggie arguing and immediately became protective of the former of two women. From the look on Maggie's face, Miranda figured that she had chosen a fantastic moment to intervene.

"Y-yeah… Maggie was just leaving." Bianca said.

"I was?" Maggie asked. She smirked slightly. "No…I think I'll stay, Bianca. You and me have more to talk about…besides Marissa _is_ my cousin. I don't turn my back on family."

"BAH!" Miranda laughed out loud. "Coulda _fooled_ me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bianca asked.

"Oh thank goodness you're both here."

Miranda and Bianca looked towards the owner of the voice and rolled their eyes.

"Why is it that you're always on our family's cases?" Miranda joked with the Chief of Police.

"It's because I'm kick ass and awesome and, apparently, the _only_ one who can solve them." He replied.

"Touché," Bianca said. "What's up?"

"Well," Brot began. "Looking at the report of the assessment of the fire. The fire department said that one of the burners on the stove in that little kitchen you guys have in the basement was on. Which means that the gas was open. Someone turned it on or forgot to turn it off."

"Well, that's not possible. We never use that kitchen." Miranda said.

"And I've never touched it." Bianca reiterated.

"I figured that. Which is why we've come to the conclusion that it was arson… We found residue from the gasoline butane after a few samples were gathered which isn't what the stove runs on. There was a trail of it leading right up to Miss Montgomery's bedroom, or so we believe. It seems that because Marissa and AJ both said that the back door was open, we're assuming that that was how whoever did this got into the house."

Miranda looked at Bianca who had turned pale. This was another attempt on her life and whoever wanted her dead had nearly succeeded.

"T-Tammy," Miranda whispered.

"What?" Brot asked.

"Tammy… It has to be Tammy. I mean she kidnapped her three years ago and was trying to get rid of her recently by bringing up the way I was conceived. It has to be Tammy."

Brot furrowed his eyebrows.

"So, I'm supposed to believe that she's to be arrested for kidnapping _and_ attempted murder?"

"Why not?"

"Miranda, you hate this woman. Do you think that there's the possibility that you're blinded by that hatred and it's causing you to blame her for everything?"

"No!" Miranda insisted. "I think I'm on the right track! Before she left when Mom kicked her out she threatened that this wasn't over. That she wasn't giving up on Marissa and _would_ make it happen no matter what. If she killed my mom, over here, then it would solve her problems."

Brot lifted his hand to stop Miranda.

"I don't doubt that. Your logic is sensible, okay? However, I have to remain objective about this. I mean, Maggie here was supposed to be there at 7:00 that evening and she wasn't there. She could easily be a suspect in this investigation."

"No, that can't be it!" Miranda exclaimed.

"And why not?" He challenged.

"Because in order to get into the basement through the back door you need a key. That door is _always_ locked! And only 6 people have a key to that door."

"And who might that be?"

"Me, AJ, Gabby, both my moms _and_ Tammy."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**One week later**

If Bianca were honest, things were still pretty tense between her and Marissa. For two weeks, Bianca had lied down as promised under Marissa's bed. Even though the bulk of the hours she spent on the floor were silent, Bianca had always made sure she made _some_ form of contact. She could spend hours just staring into Marissa's sad, hazel eyes and usually tried her hardest to get the redhead to smile for even a split second. Marissa's lack of zest was beginning to frustrate Bianca and to add insult to injury, the brunette hadn't been able to recall a single moment from her past within the last week and a half. She had gone from an average of two memories a day to absolutely nothing since Brot discovered new evidence in the pool house. Remembering Miranda was the last time she recalled anything. Not that that was any reason to be upset with Marissa, but Bianca was having a hard time. She wanted to give her wife the space she needed, what she wanted. _Was this what it felt like for Marissa all these months?_

"Bianca?"

"Yes?" She replied with a smile, hoping Marissa was finally coming around.

"What's gonna happen next?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Where am I gonna go when I get out of here?"

"'I'? You mean 'we', right? Because _we_ are gonna stay with Kendall and Zach for a night before we find some place else. Maybe the Yacht Club."

"You…" Marissa sighed before she attempted to continue, but Bianca had beaten her to the punch.

"Don't," she whispered and lifted her hand to touch Marissa's lips. "Don't say it… I don't want you to feel guilty anymore, okay? _None_ of this is your fault and I'll be damned if I let you keep believing it. I dunno what else I'm supposed to say or do to convince you that you're not responsible for what happened to me."

"But if I had-"

"No! …No…"

"Good morning ladies," Griff said as he entered into the room. "Guess what Marissa?"

"What?"

"Today is your final check-up and if all goes well I see nothing wrong with sending you home within the hour."

"Really?" Bianca asked hopefully.

"Absolutely. The burns are healing nicely and Marissa, you said yourself yesterday that they've begun to itch."

"Yup," she replied.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Kendall sat on the couch with a load of paperwork spread out before her. She had received a call from Bianca about an hour ago, who was excited that Marissa was _finally_ being released from the hospital. At the sound of the news, the curly haired brunette took comfort in Marissa's healing, completely relieved that her sister-in-law was returning to her regular self. Kendall had been at the hospital often within the last two weeks and when she discovered who was responsible for her sister's disappearance, she saw red. Marissa had apologized abundantly to Kendall, but she wouldn't hear of it. Kendall did not blame Marissa, as much as the redhead condemned herself.

As she scribbled her pen across the page of Fusion orders before her, she heard a knock at her door. Dropping the writing utensil, she scampered to the door and was pleased by the sight she was greeted with, despite the empty gaze on Marissa's face.

"Hey you two! Welcome home Marissa."

Kendall stretched her arms out and pulled her sister-in-law into a gentle and tentative hug.

"Thanks Kendall."

"You must be exhausted. I've set up a room for you two at the end of the hall. Binx, you know which one. Miranda has been staying with AJ. Those two are here every night with Fia and Nate; putting them to bed and not leaving until they've fallen asleep. And then they're here the next morning before the kids are even up. They feel responsible for them."

"Thank for having them and taking care of them," Bianca said. She took Marissa's hand and led her to the bedroom at the other end of the house.

"No problem. You two take a nap. I have some stuff for Fusion to work on."

"Okay, thanks again Kendall!" Bianca yelled behind her.

Bianca turned the handle on the bedroom door as she and Marissa came upon it. Once opened, Bianca pulled her wife in with her and led her to stand by the foot of the bed.

"Hold on," Bianca said. She moved across the room and closed the door behind her before locking it. She turned around to find Marissa attempting to sit down.

"Ahh!" Marissa winced.

"_Ahh!"_

Bianca heard Marissa's same tone in her head.

"Marissa wait. Lemme help you."

"It's okay Bianca."

"Don't… Don't do that," she said.

"Do what?" Marissa said as she settled down onto the mattress, seated. Bianca kneeled and placed one hand on each knee.

"Shut me out. Let me help you… Let me be here for you."

"_Let me be here for you."_

Bianca froze in place. Marissa balanced herself an placed her hands on Bianca's. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she took a good look at Bianca's face. The brunette was caught in a hypnotic daze. _Is she remembering something?_ Marissa attempted to lean forward and when she did, her back itched slightly. She ignored the tingling irritation that sprung from her back and cupped Bianca's face. It had been minutes before the redhead had said anything.

"Bianca?" Marissa asked. "Are you okay?"

Bianca blinked once.

Twice.

"Bianca?"

Marissa recognized the look in the brunette's eyes. They were drowning from the pain that had snuck its way into her head...her stomach...her heart. She felt as if someone had taken a hold of her; as if someone were punching her from the inside out.

"Gone too soon." Bianca whispered.

Marissa had been watching her wife. Bianca had almost been relieved once they entered Kendall and Zach's home, away from the hospital. Immediately fearing for Marissa's condition, she led her to an empty bedroom to sit her down. But almost the moment Bianca kneeled before her, the brunette had fallen into a trance, causing worry to stir within the redhead.

"What?" Marissa asked.

Bianca looked to her wife and recognized the look of concern. She felt the warm hands that belonged to Marissa holding her face, almost as if she knew that she would need some comfort.

"'Gone too soon.' That was the song Miranda played for... Oh God. Why didn't you tell me?"

Marissa examined the brunette's expression of loss and sadness that had darkened her gaze. The song she spoke of always brought tears to her eyes and it was at that moment that Marissa realized which memory had consumed Bianca and forced her into a state of complete and utter desolation.

"Bianca-"

"We...we lost him... We lost him. They...they aren't twins..."

Bianca collapsed from her position on her knees and fell on her behind and onto the floor. The sobs devoured her and every breath she tried to take hold of. It wasn't long before Marissa managed to lift herself off of the bed and kneel before her wife. She sat directly in front of her and saw that Bianca had shielded her eyes with her hands. She reached out for them, her own tears taking over her ability to see.

"Bianca," she whispered as she peeled her hands from her face.

"We lost him... We lost him... They aren't twins..."

"No." Marissa said. "They're not twins."

"Tr…triplets?" Bianca breathed out.

Marissa sighed.

"Yes… Triplets."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

So? Thoughts?

Things start now! Hope you enjoy(ed)!

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed and read every time thus far!

o.o.O.O.o.o.


	26. Beginnings

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Nathan & Sofia's POV**

We love stowries.

She's rwight! We love stowries!

I like the middle.

The middle? Why? The start is the bestest!

Nooo! 'Cause in the middle everyfthing happens!

But when the stowry starts, you don't know anything! And there's more to hear! The middle is too close to the end Sofia!

So what? It's my favouwrite! I'm allowed to have a favouwrite. It doesn't have to be like yours.

You're rwight. I'm sowry.

Thank you.

But the beginning is still my favouwrite because not only is there more to come, but because if you already know the stowry then you know what's going to happen and Momma Binx says you can look for more things to learn too.

That's rwight! Things you didn't know from the story before.

See why it's better?

…Yes… But I still like the middle…

_Hey, maybe the time  
>Just wasn't right to hang on<br>When are you gonna __learn__  
><em>_Sometimes things turn instead of turn out_

_Hey, when are you gonna stand  
>Stop looking over your shoulder<br>Me, with a head full of words  
>And not one useful expression<br>Hey, let go_

_We, with holes in our hearts  
>Were whole at the start<br>Our story began  
>We film ourselves 'til the end<br>Try to suspend our lives in the dark_

_Hey, when are you gonna stand  
>Stop looking over your shoulder<br>See, there's a sun in the sky  
>And a moon that will take us til morning<br>When are you gonna stand  
>Stop and begin this moment<br>Hey, let go  
>Let go<br>Will we be the ones to understand..._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

There are moments in life when we are shown something or told something that we wish we didn't know. We learn about something and when it's finally stuck in our brains we want something…_anything_ else to occupy our thoughts. We tell ourselves not to think about it but that's the purpose of the Ironic Processing Theory. If you're told not to think of a pink elephant, you can't help _but_ think of that pink elephant that we've been told not to contemplate. It's all about mental control, but when this thing is _all_ you can think about, why do we allow ourselves to keep thinking about it? Are we, as human being, truly masochistic – that we enjoy the pain because it gives us some form of pleasure? Or is it that because the more we think about it, the more we're convinced we can forget about it completely somehow because we know that if we wear the colour of pain, no matter how vivid it began, it'll eventually fade and lose it's radiant effect on our emotions?

Bianca Montgomery was no exception to this.

From the moment she blinked that second time as Marissa's soothing, yet urgent voice tried to bring her back to reality, she immediately regretted ever wanting to have her memories back.

_Bianca leaned in the doorway hers and Marissa's bedroom. She had just trotted down the stairs into the basement, coming upon the open door of the master bedroom. She gazed lovingly at her wife, completely ensnared by the way the redhead was sprawled on their bed. She had a hand upon the massive bump that had formed over the past 7 months and was whispering to each of them, using the names that each of the kids had come up with._

"_That's right Sofia, Nathan is kicking Mommy and Travis thinks that my bladder is a squeeze toy."_

_Bianca tried to stifle a laugh, but she found it extremely difficult. Marissa stopped speaking and looked up at her wife giggling in the doorway._

"_And what's so funny Mrs. Montgomery-Tasker?"_

_Bianca quit her laughter and grinned fully. She still wondered how she had gotten so lucky in love after all of the horrible experiences life had thrown her way. She wondered if this was how life was supposed to be._

"_Nothing is funny Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery… I'm just…standing here watching you play and talk to our new additions to our family and wondering how I got so lucky."_

_Marissa smiled and tears were brought to her eyes._

"_You? Lucky?"_

_The brunette lifted herself from leaning on the doorframe and entered the room. She walked gently across the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. She shifted her body to get closer to her very pregnant wife so that their hips rested against each other. Bianca reached outward with her left hand and rested it on Marissa's forehead. She ran it down her wife's face and watched as the redhead closed her eyes and leaned into Bianca's touch. _

"_Yes," Bianca said. "I'm lucky."_

"_How do you figure?" Marissa asked with a playful smile gracing her exhausted features._

"_Well, look at who my kids are. AJ is so…vivacious despite what he knows about his father and what J.R did to us-"_

"_You you."_

"_No… To us. If he had succeeded he would have taken you away from me and our family and I would've been forced to watch from a distance fearing the day when I'd see any of you again."_

_Marissa raised her hand to touch the one Bianca still had resting on her face. She peeled it from her cheek and kissed the brunette's palm before intertwining their hands together._

"_I never wanna come that close to losing you again."_

"_See? To us."_

"_Okay, okay. …What else?"_

"_Miranda. She's everything I could ask for in a daughter. And the way she protects AJ and Gabby? She's headed for greatness. I mean, all of our kids are, but her? There are no limits with her. And when we asked her to name one of these little guys," Bianca said leaning forward. She kissed the bump and laughed as she felt the pounding of little feet against her lips. "Wow! Someone's active today."_

_Marissa smiled._

"_Yup… That's Sofia… What were you saying about Miranda?"_

"_Oh yeah, she named one of them after two of the greatest men in my life."_

"_Travis Jackson…"_

"_My father and my uncle…"_

"_And Gabby?"_

_Bianca smiled a smile so wide her cheeks hurt._

"_She's so smart and loving. I mean, she doesn't show it too much but that's because of her independence. She named Sofia because now things evened out. AJ and Miranda are twins and Nathan and Travis will have each other and now she has someone…finally."_

_Marissa chuckled._

"_And now we have these three along the way," Bianca added._

"_Yeah… I'd say you're pretty lucky."_

_Bianca gazed at Marissa lovingly and shook her head._

"_Oh, I'm not done yet, Counselor…" _

_Marissa raised her eyebrows._

"_Oh really?"_

_Bianca nodded._

"_Really."_

_Marissa shifted a bit when she noticed that her wife had come closer to her._

"_Okay, what else?"_

_Bianca took both of Marissa's hands in hers now and clasped them together. She simply stared into the redhead's hazel eyes and sighed._

"_You…"_

"_Me?"_

"_Yes…you. You make me so deliriously happy and I now understand what Wolf Hassel and Arnold Lanni of Frozen Ghost was talking about when they sang 'Dream Come True'." Bianca smiled before she opened her mouth to let the soft song escape her. "'Love of my life, I don't have a lot to give you. What's in my heart, is all that I can really give you. Love…undying love is all I have, a handful of words that might make you laugh'-"_

_Marissa scrunched her eyebrows and laughed, which cause her wife to stop abruptly._

"_Okay, my turn to ask. What's so funny?" Bianca inquired._

"_N-nothing… It's just…are you __**actually**__ serenading me?"_

"_Oh shut up! You love it!"_

_Marissa watched as the love of her life came even closer to her and lay on her side, facing her. Bianca's finger traced the outline of the different features of Marissa's face and she watched as the redhead's eyes closed instantaneously and savoured the view of the look of peaceful content that came across her love's face._

"_You're right… I do…" Marissa opened her eyes and lifted her head upward to capture the brunette's lips in a soft graze. "Keep going." She requested._

"'_Love of my life, you are all I ever wanted. To be with you, is all I ever really wanted. You…you've made my life a fairytale. You've added love to a life that was so stale. Know that I'll be here always for you when you need a friend. I give all of myself to you, only you, my dream come true'."_

_Bianca felt Marissa pulling her in as close as she possibly could as she raised her hands to cup the redhead's neck, wanting her…needing her and, most of all, loving the way she felt after all this time, especially the moment their lips met in a fierce lock._

"_I love you," Marissa whispered against Bianca's lips._

"_God, I love you too," she said breathlessly before colliding her lips with Marissa's in a kiss that made her giddy with contentment._

"_W-w-wait-"_

"_Wh-what?" Bianca asked as she tore away from a kiss she was sure had been a new level of hunger for them. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"_

"_Nope!" Marissa said. "But I think my water just broke."_

"Bianca?" Marissa asked. "Are you okay?"

It was all she could hear before she felt herself being sucked into a different memory.

"_No, no Bianca, I assure you that early labour is very common amongst mother's giving birth to twins or triplets. Everything is moving along fine and we should be ready to go in about half an hour if everything escalates the way they have been."_

_Bianca nodded._

"_Okay, thank you." She said._

"_AHH!"_

_Bianca ran from the hallway of Pine Valley Hospital at the sound of Marissa's wailing voice that filled her room._

"_Bianca!" She yelled out. The brunette ran into the room her wife was occupying. The contractions had been coming at a rapid pace, increasing in frequency every time they arrived._

"_I'm here, Baby, I'm here." She said, reaching out for Marissa's hand who took a tight hold of her hand. _

"_It hurts!"_

"_I know, I know!"_

"_AHHH!"_

"_Okay, okay. Breathe…breathe…breathe…" Bianca repeated as Marissa inhaled and exhaled on cue._

"_Okay…okay… That one's done." Marissa said as she let go of Bianca's hand. _

…

"_AHHH!"_

"_Okay Baby #2's head is crowning. C'mon Marissa! PUSH!"_

"_AHH!"_

_Bianca caressed her wife's sweaty forehead as her other hand had gone numb from having its blood circulation cut off. But it didn't matter to her. The pain was nonexistent, in spite of the fact that it had turned purple from being numbed. Bianca wore a smile as she watched Marissa give birth to their second of three, excluding the three beautiful ones they already possessed. Nathan had been the first one out and his cries could still be heard as two nurses cleaned him up._

"_I-I can't. AHH!"_

"_C'mon Baby. One more push. C'mon."_

"_AHRHH!"_

"_And here he is."_

_Bianca looked over at Dr. Jake Martin at the end of the bed. There weren't any cries being heard. She noticed the creases in his eyebrows and felt a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt as if she had been hit with a bag of bricks. _

"_Is he okay?" Marissa asked. Bianca looked at her wife, not knowing what to do. She crashed her mouth to Marissa's damp temples and kissed her fiercely. They watched as the doctor handed the infant to a team of doctors who begun their work._

"_Okay Marissa, one more to go. Let's see your baby girl."_

…

"_Wh-where is he Bianca?" Marissa asked as she tried to catch her breath. A nurse handed Bianca the now wrapped and clean baby boy. She was crying already at the amazing thing Marissa had just done. She turned and settled him into her wife's arms._

"_Look, it's Nathan."_

_Marissa held the first of her three newborns and Bianca saw the way she gazed at him._

"_Bianca?"_

_Bianca turned to look at Jake Martin and he motioned for her to follow him. She turned to Marissa and leaned down to kiss her lips briefly but lovingly._

"_I'll be right back, okay?"_

_Marissa looked to Jake and nodded before returning her gaze to Bianca. The brunette leaned down to kiss Nathan's head and walked out into the hallway only to be greeted by a worried face._

"_Is everything okay, Jake?"_

"_Uh…there was a complication with Travis."_

"_A comp-complication?" Bianca asked growing worried._

"_His heart…wasn't beating. They tried everything, but-"_

"_No, no, no…NO! Jake NO!"_

"_But they couldn't get his heart going."_

"_No, no, Jake, you're wrong. You said you heard __**all**__ three heartbeats before she started pushing. They…it can't just __**stop**__! Okay?"_

"_It's happened before. He was-"_

"_NO! DON'T TELL ME THAT! JAKE!"_

"_I know this is difficult, but it's… It sucks that this had to happen."_

_Bianca's tears were flowing freely and violently. Her eyes turned blood red as the water that had gathered in them kept threatening to spill, which they had._

"_No! It didn't __**have**__ to happen!" She took a deep breath. "What the hell am I supposed to tell my wife Jake?"_

…

Staying true to his word, AJ walked into Krystal's. He surveyed the area and noticed that his father was nowhere to be seen. He spotted an empty table in a corner of the restaurant where he wouldn't be seen. Not thirty seconds after he settled into the booth did he hear the whirring of the pump in the door to slow its closing. When he looked up he saw his father enter. And, it seemed to him, that everything had gone silent…because they had. Everyone was staring at the aging Chandler who seemed to look every bit as nervous as he felt.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in here?" Krystal asked harshly.

J.R was calm and looked to the floor.

"I'm not here to cause any trouble… I'm just here to see AJ. He told me that he'd be here."

"And why should I believe you?" She continued.

"'Cause it's true," AJ voiced as he emerged from his corner booth.

"AJ, seriously?"

"Don't worry Grandma," the blonde said. "He won't do anything if he knows what's good for him. He just wanted to talk."

_He's not exactly 'defending' me, _J.R thought. _But he's gonna talk to me at least… It's a start._

"If you need my help, you know where I am," Krystal said.

"You got it." AJ said.

J.R looked around the place and saw that everyone had resumed to go about their business prior to his entrance. He looked to AJ whose expression remained empty.

"I don't have the right to ask you for a hug, but is a hand shake too much?" J.R asked as he extended his hand. AJ looked at it and didn't move. J.R pulled it back slowly and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I get it… Too soon. Understandable."

AJ turned around and led his father to the table he had been sitting at.

"Thanks for agreeing to see me." J.R began, but AJ cut him off.

"Let's get one thing straight. You're here, you're out, you're gonna talk. Whether I believe you or not is my decision and no one else's. No one's influenced me into thinking anything and no one knows I'm seeing you so don't you_ dare_ go blaming what I decide on _either_ of my moms. Understand?"

J.R nodded.

"I get that. I get that now. And I wanna apologize to you for _everything_."

"I'm not the one you have to apologize to! Last I checked you weren't in jail because you shot _me_ in the chest."

"I know, I know. I have _a lot_ of people to talk to and I know that they won't believe me. But I have to fix things with you first. You get that, right? You're my son and you're the most important thing in my life and even though you may not believe me, I love you. I love you very much and I missed you every day I was in that hell hole."

AJ chuckled.

"Wow…how long did you rehearse that for?"

"I didn't rehearse it."

AJ bit his lip and sighed.

"I wanna believe you… That you've changed? But I can't. Something in me… I can't trust you. Not after everything."

"I _swear_ to you that I've changed." J.R said softly.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then what the hell was all that about when I came to visit you those two times?"

J.R sighed and looked down at his hands. He brought them to his eyes and rubbed the fatigue from them before looking at AJ once more.

"Because seeing you and how hostile you were with wasn't something I was used to. You…you used to look at me like I was the greatest Dad in the world and that I could never let you down… And then I did. I allowed myself to believe that what I was doing was the best thing to do, that it was to protect you. But I was wrong, clearly."

AJ rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, no shit!"

"AJ… I'm not asking you to forgive me or forget what I've done… All I'm asking is for _one _chance to prove to you that you can trust me. I swear to you that this isn't an empty promise. I want to make mends for everything I've done to hurt you and the people you love."

"…One condition."

"Name it."

"You stay sober… The _moment_ I see you even in the same room as alcohol, I shut you out of my life for good."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_Bianca walked back into Marissa's room, wondering how she was going to tell Marissa about their baby. _

_He was dead._

_He was dead._

_He was gone._

_How was she supposed to do this?_

"_Bianca?" She looked up and saw Marissa gazing at her with a smile, which instantly fell. "What's wrong?" Bianca didn't know what to do. She felt numb, she felt frozen and she didn't want reality. This was it. This was reality. She had two beautiful new babies and their brother was gone…far too soon. "Don't shut me out. Let me help you. What's wrong?" She took a hold of Marissa's hands took a deep breath. She looked at Marissa through the fury of tears that she thought she had gotten rid of. "Where's Travis?" Marissa asked._

_Bianca shook her head._

"_No…" Marissa said. "No…"_

"_I-I'm s-sorry Baby…" Bianca's words were broken._

"_No, no, no, NO! Tell me it's not true."_

"_I can't."_

_Bianca watched as Marissa ripped her hands from her grasp and brought them to her face. She placed one over mouth as she shook her head and began to sob hysterically. Her other hand tried to push Bianca away as the brunette moved towards her to pull her into a loving embrace._

"_No, no," Marissa's voice came out muffled. "Oh God, no, no! Not Travis, no!"_

_The brunette sat beside her wife on the bed and held onto her as she kept shaking and muttering the 'no's' of denial. Bianca leaned back to lie down, holding Marissa in her arms as the redhead buried her face into her neck and the pair of them wept for their little boy._

…

_Bianca had walked down the hall upstairs. She could hear the strumming of a powerful acoustic song being belted out by her eldest daughter. She stopped outside of Miranda's bedroom door, listening through the small slit that the door had left._

_**Not a day goes by  
>That I don't think of you<br>Always asking why  
>This crazy world had to lose<br>Such a beautiful life we never knew  
>Gone too soon<br>You were gone too soon**_

…

"Bianca?" Marissa asked. "Are you okay?"

Bianca blinked once.

Twice.

"Bianca?"

Bianca felt as if she were drowning from the pain that had snuck its way into her head...her stomach...her heart. She felt as if someone had taken a hold of her; as if someone were punching her from the inside out.

"Gone too soon." Bianca whispered.

Marissa looked at her. Bianca had been relieved once they entered Kendall and Zach's home, away from the hospital. Immediately fearing for Marissa's condition, she led her to an empty bedroom to sit her down. But almost the moment Bianca kneeled before her, the brunette had fallen into a trance.

"What?" Marissa asked.

Bianca looked to her wife and recognized the look of concern. She felt the warm hands that belonged to Marissa holding her face, almost as if she knew that she would need some comfort. Those warm hands held her so softly and tenderly that she only wanted to focus on them and the way they made her feel, but she couldn't seem to think of anything other than what she saw.

"'Gone too soon.' That was the song Miranda played for... Oh God." She exclaimed as she realized what she had seen. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Marissa examined the brunette's expression of loss and sadness that had darkened her gaze. The song she spoke of always brought tears to her eyes and it was at that moment that Marissa realized which memory had consumed Bianca and forced her into a state of complete and utter desolation.

"Bianca-"

"We...we lost him... We lost him. They...they aren't twins..."

Bianca collapsed from her position on her knees and fell on her behind and onto the floor. The sobs devoured her and every breath she tried to take hold of. It wasn't long before Marissa managed to lift herself off of the bed and kneel before her wife. She sat directly in front of her and saw that Bianca had shielded her eyes with her hands. She reached out for them, her own tears taking over her ability to see.

"Bianca," she whispered as she peeled her hands from her face.

"We lost him... We lost him... They aren't twins..."

"No." Marissa said. "They're not twins."

"Tr…triplets?" Bianca breathed out.

Marissa sighed.

"Yes… Triplets."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca woke up suddenly at the sound of the echoes of Marissa's voice. _Triplets._ Sofia and Nathan had a triplet. _Travis._

After Marissa had confirmed her memory, the redhead had managed to set aside her own physical pain and lifted Bianca up off the floor. The two of them settled down on the bed and lay down. Marissa rested on her side so her back didn't touch the fabric below her and Bianca had turned on her side to meet Marissa's gaze. She looked at her through a veil of tears that had clouded her vision and when the woman in front of her had reached out with a loving had to wipe them away from the skin on her cheek, Bianca felt comforted instantly.

"You're awake." Marissa said, offering Bianca a tiny smirk. "Are you okay?"

Bianca nodded.

"I think so."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I dunno… How can I?" Bianca asked.

"You can start from the beginning. What was the first thing you remembered?" Marissa asked. She watched as Bianca thought, searching her memories to answer her question. The redhead snuck her hand under the pillow her wife rested on to take a hold of her hand. It was a comforting gesture that had Bianca's heart racing at the wonder of how someone who in so much pain, physically, emotionally and mentally, could be so considerate and love with such a vast capacity.

"Uhh… Dream Come True…"

_I've been waiting my whole life for you. Now my waiting is through. All the nights I've spent dreaming, I knew that my dream would come true._

Bianca noticed a hopeful gleam appear behind Marissa's gaze.

_So many nights I lay awake dreaming, I knew, one day I'd be with you. Now all my nights of dreaming are through, 'cause my dream has come true._

"You-you remembered that?" The brunette nodded. "That's amazing."

"Yeah…" Marissa saw something flash across Bianca's face, but couldn't understand what.

"Not so amazing?" She asked her wife.

"No, no, it is…it's just…"

"What?"

"Travis…"

She brought Bianca's hand up and rested it on her heart.

"I miss him everyday… Neither of us got to hold him. He was gone before we could even hold him."

"I know… I just… I don't wanna remember anything else anymore… Not after that. I can't stand that. I can't handle going through something like that again. He was…" Bianca brought her hand to Marissa's face. "He was our baby…"

"You're right…and he still is. And we have his brother and sister who we love just as much and who need us as much we need them. Who we love as much, if not more, than they love us and they remind us everyday of our baby and we can see him in the both of them…"

Bianca nodded.

"I know…you're right… But that memory…"

Marissa pulled Bianca's hand from her heart to under her head, kissing it to reassure Bianca.

"Is the beginning of everything…from here on out. If you have any more of that caliber, you can come to me for all of the strength and love and support you need…if you need it…to make it through those memories…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

She had left Pine Valley almost a month ago now. There was a warrant out for her arrest; she knew this. She knew that she had screwed up royally, so there was nothing left to do but wait. Waiting was one thing she was definitely good at. She had waited a year after her plan had been set in motion to approach the woman who haunted her dreams in the most delicious way. The torture of knowing that Marissa could possibly never feel that way for her was completely enticing and only made the prospect of conquering her affection all the more incredible and exciting. And she wanted nothing more than to complete what she started. She had had everything figured out but then the one person she wanted, needed to keep from her love had managed to come back from the 'dead'. She would have to deal with Bianca Montgomery.

There was a new problem in her way now: Miranda.

_She __**knows**__ that my mom is Marissa's wife and the woman she loves. Bianca isn't stupid._

_I didn't have to lift a finger with you orchestrating everything for me. I mean, yeah, I want my moms back together so we could be a happy family because it was ripped from us, but here's the thing. Yes, I can be manipulative. I can be persuasive. I __**am**__ charming, I've lied, most definitely. But here's the thing, you see…I'm patient. __**That**__ I get from my mom… And I know how to love and how to step away when I see someone I love happy. Unlike you who pushes and keeps on pushing to the point where what they wanted gets __so__ far out of reach that they end up worsening the situation for themselves. So, dear Tammy, I __**really**__ hope that this is __**far**__ from over. Karma's a bitch for people like you._

Suddenly, she felt that she didn't want to wait anymore.

"Be careful what you wish for Little Montgomery…'cause it all just might come true."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Hope you enjoyed!

LOOOOTS more to come and I hope this clears up the "beginning" questions you had.

Please review!

Lotsa love!

PS – Songs in POV is "Begin" by the Wailin' Jennys and the song Miranda sang is "Gone Too Soon" by Daughtry.


	27. You

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Bianca's POV**

I never felt alone, I was happy on my own and who would ever know there was something missing? I guess I didn't see the possibility. It was waiting all the time, but it never crossed my mind 'til you opened up my eyes now all I think about is… I never thought that love would be such a curiosity. What attracted you to me was so unexpected, but it was waiting all the time and it never crossed my mind 'til you opened up my eyes. Now all I think about is you in my life, in my dreams - in my heart I know it's true that I belong with you. Because of you in my world, in my arms, I have everything and I can't imagine what I'd do…without you.

~You: Jane Krakowski

There's always something in the way, there's always something getting through, but it's not me, it's you. Sometimes ignorance rings true, but hope is not in what I know. It's not in me. It's in you. It's all that I know. I find peace when I'm confused and I find hope when I'm let down. Not in me, me in you. It's in you. I hope to lose myself for good. I hope to find it in the end, but not in me, me in you, in you.

~You: Switchfoot

You are the one who makes me happy when everything else turns to gray. Yours is the voice that wakes me mornings and sends me out into the day. You are the crowd that sits quiet listening to me and all the mad sense that I make. You are one of the few things worth remembering and since it's all true, how could anyone mean more to me than you? Sorry if sometimes I look past you, there's no one beyond your eyes. Inside my head the wheels are turning, hey, sometimes I'm not so wise. You are my heart and my soul, my inspiration, just like the old love song goes. You are one of the few things worth remembering and since it's all true, how could anyone mean more to me than you?

~You: The Carpenters

Need I go on?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_She had just returned to the hospital from 'supervising' Brot's pool house search with Miranda and found herself holding mixed feelings about her situation. Bianca had just discovered who was behind her abduction and the fact that she had been living with her for the last 3 and a half months. Although she knew she should be terrified, there was nothing left in her to fear. Tammy was on the run and she'd be stupid to return now. News travels fast through national news. However, the small part of Bianca that was scared of the blonde psychopath's return had been easily overshadowed the moment she returned to the hospital to find Marissa's sleeping form in her new bed. She smiled and staying true to her word, Bianca sat on the cold tiles of the hospital room floor, disregarding anything that could be on said floor that she was unaware about. She had made a promise to the love of her life and she intended to see it through. She positioned herself on her back and shifted forward slightly so her head rested directly beneath Marissa's softly breathing form._

"_Binx?" Bianca heard Kendall's voice call out to her. She lifted her head to look at her sister. "What are you doing on the floor?"_

_Bianca settled back into her position._

"_I promised her that if she changed beds that I'd lie here everyday to keep her from having to look at the floor… She said she'd go insane… Plus I wanna be the first thing she sees when she wakes up." Bianca replied, never taking her eyes off of Marissa. _

"_Ah. I see."Kendall said. "And what does Maggie have to say about this?"_

"_Maggie has no say in what I do."_

"…_Binx, have you…made up your mind?"_

"_About?" Bianca asked._

"_Maggie and Marissa?"_

_Bianca sighed. Of course she had and it was made for her long before the fire; long before Maggie kissed her; long before Miranda and Kendall rescued her. She knew it all along that Marissa was her one; her hope; her rock; her bridge; her life. Nothing was going to change that._

"_I made up my mind a __**long**__ time ago Kendall… And not for anything, but, for me, it's always been Marissa… She was there from the beginning and even though it was because, as she says, she 'made it that way', Maggie still wasn't here long before my amnesia. I was __**so**__ confused after Maggie kissed me that I allowed myself to think that maybe Maggie was who I was truly supposed to be with. It was easier because I thought Marissa was married to someone else when the whole time, she was actually married to me. And I know that I should've been upset by that, but I wasn't. I was…__**so**__ happy because it meant that I now knew for certain something that my heart had known all along. My brain may have forgotten her, but my heart and soul most certainly hadn't. And when I was with Maggie all those times, I didn't know what to do. I completely zoned out on her. My mind __**always**__ went straight to Marissa and even when I was alone, her face consumed my every thought."_

_Bianca could hear Kendall sigh._

"_That's beautiful Binx, but…have you told __**her**__ any of that?"_

_Bianca shook her head._

"_No… I wanted to clear everything up with Maggie first…and I did tell her that I want and always will want and need Marissa, but she totally went off on me, telling me that the only reason I said that was because Marissa and I are married and have kids."_

"_Bitch!"_

"_It's not her fault. I strung her along-"_

"_No! Uh-uh, don't you dare! She should have just let you be happy and if she really loved you then she'd let you be." Bianca remained silent. "So you still haven't said anything to Marissa then?"_

"_No…" Bianca replied as she stared at Marissa. "Even though I've said all I have to say to Maggie, I still haven't told Marissa anything… God, Kendall, I __**hate**__ being away from her and I think about her constantly… I'm a mess without her."_

"_Then…maybe it's time to tell her."_

Bianca woke up startled. She gazed at the clock over her shoulder and exhaled. It was nearly 12:30 PM and the kids would be home from school in a few hours. She and Marissa had fallen asleep in each other's arms after they attempted to comfort one another at the memory of Travis Jackson Tasker-Montgomery. Their foreheads rested against one another. Bianca's right hand rested on the dip in Marissa's side, just above her hip, while the redhead's hands were curled together, clasped around Bianca's other hand and rested against the brunette's breastplate.

Bianca began to run a smooth hand up and down along Marissa's side, blinking slowly as a small smile formed on her mouth.

_Maybe it __**is**__ time._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

In sleep, your conscious sleeps and the subconscious wakens. For Marissa Tasker-Montgomery, things seemed to be heightened. The smell of fallen ash penetrated her nostrils as if the live, burning embers were flaring directly under her nose. As she inhaled, she could feel nothing but the stiff, thick, black fog being taken into her lungs and, at the contact, she coughed wildly. The way she convulsed at the suffocating feeling that gripped her body had the redhead writhing to the point that the adrenaline was becoming too much. The speed of her heart rate doubled, which caused the contraction of her muscles to overdrive her body with heat. Once she finally regained control of her breathing, Marissa found that her convulsions from her hacking had transformed into small shivers. The heat coming from her body was much warmer than the air that surrounded her. It felt like a fever and even the warm hand that rested on her hip beneath the sheets of the bed, that was usually capable of heating her body in multiple ways, wasn't enough to keep her from trembling.

Marissa tried to calm herself, stop the shaking that seemed to be consuming her, but once she felt the hand on her hip begin to make it's way up and down the side of her body, from the dip of her waist to the outside of her thigh, she shot her eyes open.

_Not again_.

Marissa shut her eyes tightly wanting to go back into the sleep that she had just escaped from. She felt Bianca near her, cuddled up to her and refused to allow herself to believe that it was all real again. She had gone so long without her wife for so long and she didn't want to feel the way she felt; hopeful, relaxed, and full of faith. That torturous hand that her mind had perfected in mimicking her wife's so she could have some semblance of sanity while she missed her was lightly caressing her sides, causing her body to react in a way that she only remembered as if it were real and happening.

"Wake up you," a voice whispered into her ear.

_Because it is happening._

Marissa opened her eyes and craned her neck upwards to find Bianca smiling down at her and smiling.

"Hi," Bianca whispered.

Marissa widened her eyes before bringing her hands up to rub them. She gazed at Bianca again and brought her hands to the brunette's face, holding onto it and breathing a sigh of disbelief.

"Y-…you're really here…"

Bianca scrunched her eyebrows and smirked.

"Uh…yes…"

"You're…you're really here?"

"Marissa, are you okay?"

She brought her head down to meet hers and closed her eyes. She sighed a breath of relief.

"Yeah… It was just a dream… A really bad dream…"

"Tell me about it," whispered Bianca.

"You…were gone… We still hadn't found you…

_Nimble fingers traced straight lines up and down the side of her body starting from her waist, torturously and deliciously running smoothly and gently down her hip stopping just above her knee and retraced its path meeting its starting point. That touch felt all too familiar to Marissa Tasker-Montgomery. With the smile that she knew her love would adore and one she couldn't resist, Marissa turned to look into her eyes. As Marissa twisted her body, her love's hand never left her body. From her waist, she could feel the hand travel across her abdomen and find a comfortable place on her stomach. Hazel eyes met the chocolate brown ones of one Bianca Montgomery-Tasker, whose head was perched on her left hand, gazing at Marissa with awe._

_"You're home!" whispered Marissa, excitedly, as she snaked her arm around Bianca's waist, cuddling closer to her, seeking her feet and resting her head in her collarbone. Marissa craned her neck so she could nuzzle Bianca's throat, placing a butterfly kiss beneath Bianca's chin._

_"Like anyone could ever keep me away from you for too long…"_

_Bianca started to trace light circles around Marissa's belly button and casually slipped her hand under the fabric that covered her stomach. Removing her other hand from her face, yet still keeping her head elevated, Bianca caressed Marissa's cheek with the back of her index finger and made its way to her lips. She traced their outline and sighed contentedly before leaning down and claiming them in between hers for a soft kiss._

_"No…" murmured Marissa against Bianca's lips. "…They most certainly can't." Marissa grinned as she looked into her love's eyes. Those eyes that she could spend forever losing herself in those eyes that, no matter how long she went without seeing them, she would __never__ forget them._

_"You look tired, baby. Are you not sleeping?" Bianca asked, concern written all over her face. Marissa scoffed silently and lifted her right hand to graze Bianca's chin._

_"No…how can I? …You're not here with me…"_

Marissa recalled the week before Miranda and Kendall had brought Bianca back to her. That early morning she had caught Miranda in their now nonexistent kitchen.

"Hey," Bianca said softly as she had noticed Marissa spacing out. She brought her hand from the redhead's waist to her chin and directed her stare to her eyes. "It was just a dream… I'm here now," she said. Marissa nodded and looked down once more, cuddling further into Bianca's chest as she felt her wife's chin rest on her head. _Maybe it's time…_ Bianca thought. "For good." She continued. "I'm not going anywhere."

Bianca could hear Marissa's breath hitch as she also took note of the rustling of sheets below her. She looked down at Marissa as hazel made their appearance as the redhead looked up at Bianca.

"Uh…y-you…you mean…?" Marissa asked before she let out a wicked wince. "Ahh!"

"What? What happened? Is it your burns? Are you okay?" Bianca began as she flipped Marissa onto her stomach.

"I'm-I'm fine, just-"

"No! Nuh-uh." The brunette said as she gently rolled up Marissa's shirt to expose her blaze-eaten flesh. "Ouch."

"Always a good thing to say Bianca." Marissa chuckled into her pillow.

"Lemme get that. I'll put that soothing cream Griff gave us for you."

Bianca lifted herself off of the bed and walked over to the small, black duffle bag of Marissa's that she had carried back with them. It sat beside the door by the dresser holding the thing Bianca required. She kneeled down on her good leg and opened the bag, searching for the medication. Once she found the small black container, she grabbed it and basically ran back to the bed. She unscrewed the cap and began to rub the ointment on the infected areas. Once Bianca reached the area near Marissa's neck, the circular motions her hand had been making slowed significantly. She found herself gazing at the spot behind Marissa's ear, feeling an immense pull to the area.

"Bianca?" Marissa questioned.

The moment she heard her name being muttered, the brunette found that she couldn't help herself. She placed the container beside her hip as she leaned down and kissed the region she found herself staring at moments before. She felt her wife's body react to her kiss and seeing the goosebumps form on her shoulders, Bianca raised her hand and caressed the area to smoothen it out, but was only proving to have a further reaction. Suddenly, she felt the redhead beneath her move and, reluctantly, tore her lips from her flesh as Marissa lifted herself upwards.

"Is…is everything alright?" Bianca asked as she noticed the blank look Marissa gave her.

"Ye-yeah…" Marissa said. "It's just a bit cold in here." She said as she shivered.

Bianca gave her a soft smile and leaned over to her side of the bed and lay down. She gazed up at Marissa and patted the spot beside her. Not saying a word, the lawyer carefully lay next to her wife on her side and watched as her wife turned her body to face her. Bianca lay her hand cautiously on Marissa's hip and let it travel further behind the redhead and paid attention to where her burns were. Finding a clean and safe place to rest her hand, void of any burns, Bianca began to pull Marissa toward her.

"What are you doing?" Marissa asked.

Bianca shifted closer, still trying to pull her wife.

"Just trust me." She replied. At those words, Marissa gave in and allowed herself to be pulled on top of Bianca's figure as the brunette rested on her back. "See?"

"See what?"

Bianca smiled.

"This way your back isn't in any pain, I get to hold you, and you stay warm."

"_How_ do I stay warm by being on top of you?"

"Well," Bianca reasoned. "I'm _very_ hot." She said with a smirk. Marissa began to laugh.

"Oh, I see. You're _hot_ are you?"

"Oh yes…_very_."

Marissa rested her head onto Bianca's chest plate as her ear pressed directly over Bianca's heart. She could hear the rapid, but steady beating of a heart she had waited for years to be able to hear in such an intimate way.

The brunette closed her eyes and smiled. Nothing could change the way she felt right now. She wrapped her arms loosely around Marissa's waist as her hands rested on her hips. Her mind began to wander to her final conversation with Maggie.

"_You don't have to __**explain**__ it to me? I think you __**do**__ have to explain it to me. It's the least you could do! I feel like I've been strung along Bianca."_

"_I know, and I'm sorry for that, but Maggie you __**have**__ accept the fact that I just don't feel that way for you."_

"_How? How can you __**not**__ feel this?" Maggie said as she grabbed Bianca's hand and brought it to her heart. The gesture reminded her of the one Marissa had so tenderly done to her a few weeks prior._

"_I dunno. I just don't… God, Maggie. When I woke up, you weren't here. Marissa was-"_

"_That's not my fault! I would have been here if I had known."_

"_But even if it wasn't like that, you __**still**__ wouldn't have been here."_

"_Because __**you**__ made it that way Bianca. Y__**ou**__ told me to go back to Paris all those years ago, __**you**__ pushed me away and __**you**__ kissed me back!"_

"_You __**can't**__ keep pinning this all on me Maggie. I don't have those feelings for you. I may have had them at one point, but not anymore. I think that the reason I thought I could be happy with you was because of the fact that I did feel them in past, but now? I just… I think of you and me and then I think of Marissa and I and my heart doesn't nearly beat as fast or as hard when I think of you as opposed to Marissa… Whatever I thought I felt for you…it's not real. It may have been at one point, but it's not anymore. I was holding onto something that was familiar and safe, but that's all it was. I was scared…but I'm not afraid anymore. I don't want you. I want Marissa."_

"_You…want…Marissa?"_

_Bianca nodded through silent tears._

"_Yes… I love her."_

_Maggie sighed defeated as she dropped her eyes to the floor._

"_Then…I guess…there's no point in me staying around any longer."_

"Stop it," Bianca said.

Marissa looked up from her wife's chest and noticed her closed eyes.

"What?"

"Stop worrying…whatever it is you're worrying about."

Marissa lifted her body a bit.

"_How_ do you know I'm worrying? Your eyes are closed."

Bianca sighed, her eyes still closed.

"You think I need to see you with my eyes to know that something's bothering you? Tell me. What's wrong?" Bianca asked.

"I'm just…wondering about something that I don't have the right to be wondering about."

"What's that?" Bianca asked as she opened her eyes.

"M-Maggie…and what happened between you two…"

Bianca leaned up a bit, which caused Marissa to look at her intensely. Her facial expression was full or worry and apprehension. Bianca wondered if it was because Marissa didn't know what to expect anymore. Had she not been clear when she said that she wasn't going anywhere? That she was here for good? When Bianca woke up in the Miranda Centre months ago, she hadn't expected any of this to happen. She hadn't anticipated that she was married, happily, with children. She definitely hadn't imagined the way she would feel for Marissa, even though the emotions that rose within her when she saw her that first time should have served as an indication. After she admitted it all to herself, Marissa became the only one she could think about; in her heart, mind, and dreams, even though the dreams were mostly memories. She knew now that she belonged to Marissa and that Marissa belonged to her. The redhead had always gotten through to her; gave her a sense of calm and strength and peace in all of her confusion. She made her happy in everything and even in the bad, Marissa sat there and listened to everything and made sense of everything when she couldn't.

"You're my wife… Of course you have the right to ask."

"But it's not my business."

Bianca reached for Marissa's left hand and brought it between them. She directed her wife's attention to the two rings that rested on its respective finger.

"This says otherwise." Bianca said. "You can ask me anything."

Marissa gazed into Bianca's big brown orbs, getting lost momentarily before she ripped her own hazel ones from them. She sighed, taking a deep breath and resting her forehead briefly on the brunette's chest. She felt her wife's hand softly run itself through her auburn strands before she looked up.

"I can't…"

"Why not?"

"I'm terrified to know the answer."

Bianca exhaled.

"You shouldn't be… You already know the answer."

"You mean…?"

Bianca smiled and raised her head to capture Marissa's lips in her own in a fiery, frenzied, all-consuming kiss. She pushed her head forward, not knowing that Marissa had made to do the same action, smiling as she felt the force of her wife's mouth colliding with hers. The redhead moved her hands, searching for the brunette's as she delved her tongue to taste Bianca's lips. The brunette had been holding Marissa close to her by her waist, but when their hands found the others', they immediately interlaced within one another. The redhead held on tight to Bianca's hold as she moved her mouth even more enthusiastically across her wife's. Taking a deep breath, Marissa pulled away from Bianca connecting their foreheads together.

"Are you…?" Marissa breathed out. "…Hungry?"

Bianca tried to stifle a laugh, but felt she couldn't.

"Actually…yeah, I kinda am. Krystal's?" She asked.

"We…we could call ahead and go pick it up."

"Okay." Bianca replied. "But first, I wanna kiss you again."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"I will! I'll stay sober and I'll be civil. I swear to you AJ, I'll be the man I know I can be, that I _want_ to be for you."

"I hope so."

Bianca and Marissa entered _Krystal's_ hand in hand. Marissa had the biggest smile on her face and kept looking down at her and Bianca's entwined hands as their fingers stayed laced between each other's.

"You don't need to. I'll do it. I promise."

Bianca knew that voice.

Why did she know that voice?

She turned her head and her eyes fell on a man with sandy blonde hair and as her chocolate brown eyes met his cobalt blue ones, she found herself being pulled away from reality into a distant, unfamiliar, yet familiar place.

_She couldn't help the feeling in the pit of her stomach as she watched her mother walk out of the lounge of the Chandler Mansion. Her arm was secure around Marissa's waist as everyone watched Erica Kane leave to chase after the love of her life. Bianca pulled Marissa closer to her form, tightening her hold._

"_You okay?" Marissa asked._

"_Yeah just…never leave me, okay?"_

_Marissa turned to face her._

"_You know I can't."_

_The moment the words had left Marissa's glossed lips, Bianca had heard it. The loudest and most fearful sound she had ever heard. It had ignited bad memories and terror within her, but she didn't wait for her thoughts before she reacted. She quickly had switched spots with Marissa, throwing them both to the ground. She looked below her to Marissa who looked on in horror._

"_Are you okay?" Bianca asked as she searched the both of them frantically, She was fine._

"_Yeah, I'm okay but… Oh, God, Bianca." Marissa said as she looked past her. Bianca turned to see J.R emerging from the hidden passage behind the wall. Bianca turned and shielded Marissa with her body. He wasn't going to get a chance to get anywhere near Marissa._

…

_Bianca found herself on her back, trying hard; desperately to breathe but was finding it too difficult. She could see blurred faces surrounding her and hear the shouts and screams of people she knew and loved. But the one face she wanted and needed to see was nowhere to be found._

"_NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO TO HER!"_

"_M…m…rsa…" Bianca mumbled out. The shouting continued._

"_RYAN LET ME GO OR SO HELP ME GOD I WILL STRANGLE YOU!"_

_Bianca heard Marissa's screaming voice once more and she tried to call out to her, but her voice was failing her. She felt her lungs giving out._

"_Mmrsa…" she muttered again._

"_LET GO OF ME!"_

"_Let her go Lavery!" David shouted and within seconds, Bianca could see Marissa hovering over her as she grabbed onto her hand._

"_Y-you…you made me promise not to leave you… Now you have to make the same promise…okay?" Marissa stuttered through shaky breaths and a plethora of tears._

_Bianca tried to take a deep breath and nodded._

"_I…p-…p-prom…ise…" She closed her eyes momentarily._

"_No! No-no. No, don't close your eyes Baby, c'mon…"_

"_I…m s-so…cold."_

"_You need heat. CAN WE HEAT HER UP PLEASE!" Marissa shouted behind her. Bianca raised her hand, mustering any energy she could and grazed a weak hand along Marissa's arm._

"_I…l-l-love…you…"_

"_No…don't say that. Not…not like this. Don't you dare say your goodbyes to me now Bianca Montgomery. You promised…"_

_Bianca felt her world dimming. She felt the black and darkness of the unknown taking over, but just before she slipped into a realm she didn't know of, she could hear her love's voice crying out her name; crying out for her._

Bianca blinked, brining herself back to reality at the sound of Marissa's voice.

"J.R…" Marissa said as she stood in front of Bianca for fear of history repeating itself…

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Sooooo….what d'ya think?

o.o.O.O.o.o


	28. Possession

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Marissa's POV**

Listen as the wind blows  
>From across the great divide<br>Voices trapped in yearning  
>Memories trapped in time<br>The night is my companion  
>And solitude my guide<br>Would I spend forever here  
>And not be satisfied?<p>

And I would be the one  
>To hold you down<br>Kiss you so hard  
>I'll take your breath away<br>And after I  
>Wipe away the tears<br>Just close your eyes dear

Through this world I've stumbled  
>So many times betrayed<br>Trying to find an honest word to find  
>The truth enslaved<br>Oh you speak to me in riddles and  
>You speak to me in rhymes<br>My body aches to breathe your breath  
>Your words keep me alive<p>

And I would be the one  
>To hold you down<br>Kiss you so hard  
>I'll take your breath away<br>And after I  
>Wipe away the tears<br>Just close your eyes dear

Into this night I wander  
>It's morning that I dread<br>Another day of knowing of  
>The path I fear to tread<br>Oh into the sea of waking dreams  
>I follow without pride<br>'Cause nothing stands between us here  
>And I won't be denied<p>

And I would be the one  
>To hold you down<br>Kiss you so hard  
>I'll take your breath away<br>And after I  
>Wipe away the tears<br>Just close your eyes dear

I'll hold you down  
>Kiss you so hard<br>I'll take your breath away  
>And after I<br>Wipe away the tears  
>Just close your eyes<p>

_-Possession: Sarah McLachlan_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"_Okay gimme a few seconds to process all of this before you kiss me again," Marissa said with a large grin. Yet, she realized that Bianca hadn't failed to notice the mask of confusion it had attempted to cover up. _

"'_Process all of this'? Didn't you __**just**__ say that you were hungry?"_

"_Yes…yes I did but then you interrupted me with wanting to kiss me and it just hit me what you meant so…"_

"…_Soooo you're 'processing' it?"_

"_Exactly…"_

"_Okay well…while you do that, here's something else to mull over. I love you…I'm __**in**__ love with you and I think I have been since I saw you again in the Safe House in February…" Bianca looked at Marissa as the redhead began to turn her head to gaze at the brunette's face, watching her lips as they moved synchronous with the words that filled the room. "I… When I was in there, I thought I was still with Lena. When I woke up every time I thought of her, my heart skipped a beat but one night everything changed. I kept having these dreams and they were always the same, but they were of a different woman and I couldn't understand why because I thought I was supposed to be with Lena. Soon enough the woman in my dreams became the __**only**__ person I could think about… She had two very distinguishable features. Red hair," Bianca said as she ran her fingers through the light waves of Marissa's hair. "And big hazel eyes." She finished, running the pad of her right thumb along the soft skin just below her eyes. "It was you… I didn't remember the first time I saw you, but my body seemed to. It just ached for you the moment you ran through that door begging to see Miranda."_

"…_What do you mean?" Marissa asked._

"_I'm saying that I'm __**so**__ sorry that I thought I wanted Maggie for even a second-"_

"_Bianca-" she whispered._

"_No! You need to hear this! Please!" Bianca begged. She sighed. "…I was so stupid for thinking that Maggie and I could work. I just went to her because I could remember her friendship and it was familiar and safe. And then there was that nagging feeling that kept telling me that you were married and I convinced myself that I could be happy with Maggie…but my mind always went to you. And I just couldn't understand why. And then you told me the truth, that it was me you were married to and everything just made so much more sense and I didn't feel so guilty for wanting you so much, for thinking about you every hour of everyday…"_

"_But Maggie kissed you and you said you felt something."_

"_I know what I said and that __**is**__ true, I did feel something, but I was so confused. I still didn't trust my feelings for you because I was starting to remember my history with all of my past relationships around the same time and I got scared. But, like I said, when I was with Maggie I could only think of you and that was the last straw. I didn't wanna deny it anymore. I had pushed you down for too long and I was fighting a losing battle."_

"_So why are you telling me this now? How long have you felt this way?"_

_Bianca sighed, pulling Marissa closer, careful not to cause any irritation to her burns. She could feel the rapid beating of Marissa's heart colliding with her own, knowing the redhead's anticipation of her answer. The brunette looked down at her wife and gave her a soft smile as she caressed her face with her right hand._

"_I guess I've always felt this way… But I wanted to tell you the day of the fire…" Marissa raised her eyebrows. "I know, ironic isn't it?"_

"_So why didn't you?"_

"…_Because I wanted to make things with Maggie clear before I could begin anything with you. You deserve all of me all at once instead of me having to keep running off to Maggie to explain things to her; things that she can't understand. How could I do that to you when I had already caused you so much pain? Not to mention it was the __**least**__ I could do for Maggie. I kind of led her on-"_

"_No, you didn't. She knew what was going on. She knew you and I were married and that there was a __**very**__ huge possibility that you and her wouldn't end up being together." Marissa said absentmindedly. Her words lingered as she had realized that she had given away a little more information than she had intended._

"_Wh-what? She…she __**knew**__ you and I were married?"_

_Marissa tore her gaze from Bianca and rested her forehead against Bianca's chest, just at the base of her neck. She let out a long and much needed exhale before she returned her stare to Bianca's eyes._

"_Yeah… She came to the house looking for you while you were at the Miranda Centre. I let it slip while she was trying to get a rise out of me. She thought I was hiding you from her… Like I could hide you from anyone."_

"_But she knew… She knew and she didn't tell me… Damn." Bianca said. "Makes me wonder what else she didn't tell me."_

_**"That's all she said? How you two ended?"**_

_**"Yeah…that we grew apart."**_

_Marissa shook the memory from her head, trying not to give away her thoughts, but as she caught the darkening gleam in Bianca's eyes, she realized that the brunette's memories hadn't failed her and that the pair of them may have just shared the same flashback._

"…_But you know what else she didn't tell me, don't you?"_

_Marissa sighed as she removed herself from atop Bianca. She couldn't handle being so close to her wife when things could get so ugly so fast within the next few minutes. She hopped off of the bed and began to pace the floor. __**Dammit! You just **_**had**_** to 'process' things didn't you? Couldn't have just let things be and let yourself **_**finally**_** be happy again? Shit!**_

"_Marissa?" Bianca asked._

_She stopped pacing and turned to face Bianca. She didn't know what to say._

"_Yes…"_

"_Yes what?"_

"_Yes, I know what she didn't tell you…"_

"_Well? What is it?"_

_Marissa stared at Bianca. She looked the same way Marissa was almost certain she felt; betrayed. Bianca had thought Maggie her security, her safe haven; the one person she could run to when no one understood what was going on in her mind. Marissa knew that Bianca needed Maggie to be that person because other than her family, Maggie was the only thing that was familiar to Bianca in a world that made no sense to her. The way Bianca looked at her right now, however, had Marissa's heart crumbling to pieces. The brunette was beginning to realize that her former lover should never have been trusted._

"…_I…" Marissa began. "I don't know if I should tell you."_

_Bianca scrambled to her feet and moved in a dash to stand before Marissa. They were toe to toe and the taller one grabbed her wife's hands._

"_Why not?"_

"_Because I really don't think it's my place to tell you, okay? I don't want you to want me because all of a sudden Maggie isn't so trustworthy or appealing. I want you to want me because it's what you want!"_

"_Haven't you been listening to me at __**all**__ this last half hour? You already have me! You've had me since the __**moment**__ you came to me! I just took a little too long to realize it. Anything you say now won't affect me in any way. Maggie's gone for good. I don't want her. I want you…I __**need**__ you…" Bianca released Marissa's hands to bring her own to the redhead's cheeks to cup her face lovingly. "Please? …I have to know Marissa."_

"…_She cheated on you…"_

"…_She what?"_

"_The other woman's name was-"_

"_Cecilia…"_

_Marissa moved away from Bianca's embrace, thinking that the brunette didn't want to be anywhere near her, but she was stopped. She looked down as Bianca's hand encompassed her wrist in a soft grasp, pulling her back to her. Marissa pulled her wife into a warm hug, as she let Bianca cry freely. She could feel the moisture from the tears soak her neck. Wanting desperately to get Bianca to sit down to relax, she pulled back and removed the fallen hair from her wife's face, which had begun to conceal her eyes._

"_C'mon," Marissa whispered as she led the two of them back to the bed. She sat Bianca down and lifted her legs so they rested on the bed. Climbing in next to her, Marissa rested on her side as she faced her wife. Her heart was breaking._

"_Wh…why d-didn't you t-t-tell me?" Bianca managed to get out through the sniffling and the tears._

_Marissa shifted herself closer to the brunette._

"_I told you… Because I didn't want it to influence your decision… And I didn't want to be selfish. If it meant you were happy, then I was happy."_

"_Even if I was happy with the wrong person?"_

"…_Even then."_

_Bianca moved even closer to Marissa, connecting her lips with Marissa's in a gentle and tender kiss. Bianca moved forward as she snaked her arm around Marissa's waist and pulled her towards her, shifting their position so Marissa rested easily on Bianca. Their stomachs connected as Bianca pulled her wife closer, holding her tighter as Marissa kissed her a bit more forcefully before pulling away momentarily. The redhead pecked her wife's lips once more, quickly, before releasing a much needed breath. She connected her forehead with Bianca's and opened her eyes to find the brunette staring at her._

"_Do you have any idea how much I love you?"_

_Bianca reached up to swiftly nip at Marissa's bottom lip before she sighed and smiled through her still falling tears._

"_I might have some idea," she whispered._

_Marissa raised her right hand to remove the hair from Bianca's eyes and noticed the glistening water droplets still escaping Bianca's eyes. _

"_I don't think you do…" Marissa said softly before she placed another firm kiss on Bianca's mouth._

_The power that wielded from the indestructible feelings in her veins had Marissa losing all sense of control. Her body ached for the woman below and could easily be conveyed through the way her lips moved so fervently and avidly across Bianca's. She moved her hands to her waist, seeking out Bianca's and as she pulled them away from her hips, Marissa clasped their hands together, intertwining their fingers. They both began to tighten their grip on the other as their tongues met with intense ardor. The redhead lifted their hands, pushing the, softly, upwards to rest on the pillows above Bianca's head. As she let go of one of her hands, Marissa used it to wander below the brunette's shirt, feeling the smooth skin of her stomach. Bianca lifted herself, careful not to hurt Marissa, as she moved her mouth more hungrily against her wife's. She lifted her arms as Marissa removed the article of clothing that caused a barrier between them. Leaning back, Bianca took Marissa's by her hips and pulled her down atop her once more. Their kisses became slower as their need to breathe became more and more apparent._

_Finally calming down, Marissa tore her lips slowly from Bianca's. Resting completely on her wife, the redhead raised her hands to wipe away the tears that the brunette had yet to let dry. She leaned down and kissed Bianca's head as she fell to the side and pulled Bianca close to her._

"_Shh." Marissa said. "Just close your eyes."_

_Marissa watched as Bianca closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She noticed the brunette's hand seeking her out and thought to guide her. Once she held her hand, she noticed the smile gracing Bianca's flawless features._

"_What?" She asked._

"_You… I don't think you've ever kissed me like that before… I could barely breathe after that."_

_Unable to help herself, Marissa moved those few little inches between them to kiss Bianca one more time. She couldn't get enough of her sweet and alluring lips._

_As their lip-lock began to reach new heights, Bianca pulled back momentarily, muttering against Marissa's lips._

"_I was just wondering…" She said._

"_Yeah?" Marissa replied, still eagerly attached to Bianca's mouth._

"_Are you still hungry?"_

"_Not really."_

_As if on cue, Marissa's stomach growled loudly, causing both women to laugh._

"_Okay." Marissa said, pecking Bianca's lips one final time. "I guess I am."_

"_Food?" Bianca asked._

"_Food."_

Bianca and Marissa entered _Krystal's_ hand in hand. Marissa had the biggest smile on her face and kept looking down at her and Bianca's entwined hands as their fingers stayed laced between each other's.

"You don't need to. I'll do it. I promise."

Marissa knew that voice.

She turned her head and her eyes fell on a man with sandy blonde hair and as her hazel eyes met his cobalt blue ones, she found herself being pulled away from reality into a distant, unfamiliar, yet familiar place.

_"__Yeah, I'm okay but… Oh, God, Bianca." Marissa said as she looked past her. Bianca turned her head to see J.R emerging from the hidden passage behind the wall. Bianca turned and shielded Marissa with her body. _

"_You!" He shouted, aiming the gun directly at the two ladies who were rising to their feet. Marissa held onto Bianca's hand as she continued to let her girlfriend shield her. She tried to move, struggled to move beside her, but Bianca wasn't having any of it. _

"_You! You two SCREWED UP MY LIFE! DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" J.R had screamed. Suddenly, his voice became frightening calming. "Do you see what you two have turned me into?"_

"_You did this to yourself J.R," Bianca replied calmly. "No one forced those drinks down your throat."_

"_Shut up!" He shouted. He raised his lethal weapon, causing Bianca to stare into it. He shifted its focus from Bianca to Marissa. "And you, my wife-"_

"_Ex-wife," Marissa stated clearly._

"_Doesn't matter! You? You…" He chuckled slightly. "__**You**__ are going to pay for __**everything**__ you've put me through. For __**every**__ promise you broke! For taking my son away from me and forcing him to grow up in a home without his father… In a home…where he wouldn't know how to be a man."_

"_Haw __**dare**__ you?" Bianca questioned J.R. And soon, her blood was pounding in her ears for the gun had found its way back to her face. She pushed through the fear. "How __**dare**__ you speak to her like that? Haven't you done enough? You think you're a man coming in here with a loaded gun, drunk out of your mind? Do you think you can __**force**__ this to work in your favour?"_

"_J.R put the gun down." _

_Marissa looked in the direction of the voice and saw Jesse Hubbard approaching the three of them with caution. He was completely vulnerable, no weapons on him._

"_No!"_

"_J.R, c'mon. You don't wanna do this."_

"_Yes, I do." J.R said, never tearing his gaze from Marissa. He aimed the firearm at her, but she was blocked by Bianca. "This ends today…right here… Step aside Bianca."_

"_N-no…" she whispered._

"_Step aside…"_

"_No." She said more clearly._

"_STEP ASIDE!" He yelled._

"_I SAID NO!" _

_Marissa watched as J.R shifted his arm from herself to Bianca. Gazing at Bianca, Marissa noticed that she turned her back to J.R as if she knew what would happen next. The redhead felt herself being consumed by the strongest and most loving arms she had ever known or felt around her. Bianca pulled her tightly to her chest, protecting her. But at the sound of a loud gunshot, she felt the shielding embrace go limp. Bianca's form had fallen into her, causing the two of them to head for the ground beneath them. Marissa did her best to bring Bianca down gently and fell to her knees, cradling her love's head, and guided it to the floor. But before she could do anything else, she felt a pair of large arms encompass her waist, pulling her away from the love of her life._

"J.R…" Marissa said as she stood in front of Bianca for fear of history repeating itself.

"Marissa." J.R nodded before looking at Bianca. "Bianca."

"You don't get to speak to her. What are you doing here?" Marissa demanded.

"Mom."

"AJ? What's going on?"

AJ remained still, sitting in the booth and raised his eyebrows to his father. J.R recognized that look and hung his head before taking a deep breath. He stood, and as he rose to his feet, Marissa took a step back still protecting Bianca with her body. J.R lifted his hands up to show that he held nothing.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise."

"Yes, 'cause you're_ so_ good at keeping those. You still haven't answered my question. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm on parole. I just wanted to talk to AJ and to finally apologize to you."

"Apologize?" Marissa asked.

"Yes." J.R said. "Look… You don't owe me anything. I know that. And I also know that you don't wanna be anywhere near me and I get that. After what I did to you and Bianca? It's unforgiveable. I don't expect anything from either of you-"

"Good! Because you're not going to get anything from either of us."

"I know that. But I was hoping that, if it's okay with him, that I could get to know AJ. I know you have full custody of him and I don't intend to fight you again. I won't put anyone through anything like that again, but I just… I would like the chance to know him. I'll stay away from you and your kids and you won't even see me or know that I'm here. I was only hoping to get to catch up with him and be the father I failed to be. But I needed to apologize to you two first. I know I took so much away from the two of you," J.R said as he turned to the brunette. "Especially you Bianca-"

"What did I say about speaking to her?"

"It's okay Riss," Bianca said as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and bent down to kiss her cheek in an attempt to calm the fiery redhead down.

"Thank you Bianca. I nearly killed you and I know 'sorry' can't clear everything up, but it's a start and I'm hoping that one of these days, you won't see me as the monster or demon who nearly took everything from you two."

Marissa stared J.R down, attempting to calm her breathing. She felt Bianca's arm run a smooth path around her waist, pulling her close, but gently on account of her burns. She felt the small pattern of circles that her wife had begun to form; another tactic to calm her down.

"Well, hope is all you have J.R and I don't think there's any with us. You nearly killed Bianca and then me along with it because the truth of the matter is that there's no me without her. She and I are a packaged deal! Not to mention, she's the love of my life and if you had just realized that then none of this would've happened. You allowed yourself to be blinded by hatred and resentment. We never did anything to you. You can't help who you love and you and I obviously would have _never_ worked out. We would've been unhappy and I probably would've ended up leaving you within weeks! But no! You had to resort to your old ways and act _exactly_ as your father would've had he been in the same situation at the time; drank a whole bottle then throw a temper tantrum! You asking for out forgiveness is brave, but you won't get it. Not from me. Maybe Bianca because she's a better person than I am and far more loving than anyone and a billion times the human being you will _ever_ be, but with me? Don't count on forgiveness. As for AJ; he's his own person. He can make his own decisions and doesn't need my permission to spend time with you. If he wants to, that's his business. I may not like or trust it, but I love him and trust him enough to know the difference between a good versus a lost cause."

Marissa turned to face Bianca and raised her hands to her face as she kissed her deeply. Pulling apart, Marissa took a hold of Bianca's hand and led her over to the bar.

"Are you okay?" Bianca whispered.

Marissa lifted Bianca's hand to her lips and placed a tender kiss on her knuckles.

"I will be…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Sorry for the delay. I promise more frequent UDs this week!

PLEASE leave a review!

Thanks for the love!


	29. Shock

o.o.O.O.o.o

_**Part 1**_

**Tammy's POV**

One word. 5 letters…

It could be general or medical…

And it ranges from minor to major…

There's…an element of surprise involved…

It's a result of the unexpected…

Figured it out yet?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

As he watched the two women who, for the longest time he believed, ruined his life walk away, J.R Chandler took a deep breath and hung his head in defeat. He raised his head and stole one more glance at the two women before he turned his attention back to AJ who had an eyebrow raised. Forgetting about his ex-wife, he made his way back into the booth he shared with his son.

"What?" He asked as he regarded AJ.

"Nothing. It's just…I'm wondering if I should applaud you or-"

"That wasn't an act. I swear it." J.R stated calmly. He wanted so very much for his son to believe him.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really… Look, AJ. I told you this, but I'm going to say it again. I've changed, I spent so much time in there thinking about everything I've done and how much I've let you down especially when you needed me. I couldn't see past my own stupid pain, or what I considered to be pain, and just stay sober and be the man you needed me to be. I turned into my own father, which was something I promised myself that I would never do…someone I would _never_ become…" Taking a deep breath, J.R looked at his son in a most sincere regard. "Y'know, I once told your mom that Marissa was the best thing to ever happen to me…I was trying to convince her to help me out at the time. And all that time I was in that cell, listening to the silence? That memory kept coming back to me. That's when I realized that I was so wrong…about everything because _you're_ the best thing that's ever happened to me. So, I made a promise to myself that if I ever got out of there then I would spend day in and day out trying to make you see that you matter to me more than anyone else. And if by some stroke of luck you'd give me that chance, I'd _never_ screw it up! I've been sober for nearly ten years now and I intend to keep it that way. I love you AJ and I'll say it as many times as it takes until you believe me."

"I _know_ that you've said it, Dad. But that's not the point." AJ sighed. He wanted desperately to believe his father, but like his mother, feared of history repeating itself. "The point is that I've _heard_ it all before and yet your actions _always_ say the exact opposite. _So,_ until your actions back up what you say, I can't believe you…or trust you."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Are you sure you're okay?" Bianca asked as she and Marissa returned from their lunch at _Krystal's_.

"I'm okay."

Bianca shut the door behind them and set her purse down. Marissa had made her way over to the couch that had yet to move from the family room in the Slater household. When she looked up and saw the way Bianca looked at her, head tilted with contemplative eyes, she scrunched her eyebrows.

"What?" Marissa asked.

"Are _really_ okay?" She questioned as she walked over to her wife. She kneeled before Marissa.

"Babe, your leg-"

"Is fine." The brunette interrupted and she moved her hands to rest on the redhead's knees, moving them upwards before moving them back down again. "You, however, are upset."

Marissa smirked.

"And you're the expert, are you?"

"Oh yes." Bianca said grinning. "Especially when it comes to you," she quirked as she leaned forward to graze Marissa's lips softly. "But I'm serious. Are you sure that you're fine? That couldn't have been easy for you and you didn't wanna talk about it while we were eating, but I just…wanna make sure that everything is okay…" She finished, raising her hand to Marissa's cheek, caressing it softly. But before the redhead could say anything, she heard her sister-in-law's voice.

"Hey. You two are back."

Marissa looked up as Bianca turned her body to give Kendall her attention.

"Yeah. Lunch was a little short. We ran into J.R." Bianca explained.

"J.R?" Kendall's eyebrows were raised as high as Bianca had ever seen them. "They let him out of prison? When?"

"Early this morning…" Marissa muttered. "We went to get lunch and…he was there with AJ."

"AJ? Why would AJ wanna talk to him?"

"Uh…" Bianca said. "I think it was more like the other way around… J.R said he just wanted to get to know AJ and spend time with him, no strings attached."

Kendall walked over to the couch and sat next to Marissa.

"And you believe him?" She asked.

"No!" Marissa stated.

"Does AJ?"

Bianca, despite the fact that Marissa said that she was okay, knew from the look in her wife's eyes that the words "I'm fine" could not be further from the truth.

"We uh…we're not sure." Bianca said, noticing the look of exhaustion and the desire to not speak in the redhead's eyes. "When we got there they were just talking, but it seemed like AJ didn't trust him just yet."

"Well that's a relief!" Kendall said. "That jackass ex-husband of yours is a master manipulator and I for one would love to kick his ass."

Bianca heard a playful scoff escape Marissa's mouth. A small laugh made itself evident at the sound of her sister's words.

"I'm sure you would Kendall. Thanks," Marissa said.

"You're welcome. And, by the way, a bunch of guys dropped some stuff off for you guys today. All of the things that were salvaged in the fire, excluding furniture and appliances, are in your room…and around the house; photos, videos, jewelry, Miranda's guitar. They also said that the reconstruction has started and the 3rd and main floors are basically okay, but the basement is pretty much demolished…only very little was saved…"

Bianca raised herself off of the hardwood floor to seat herself on the other side of Marissa. She wrapped a comforting arm around her waist.

"Uh…okay. Thanks Kendall."

"They also said that they've identified the one who set the fire."

The redhead looked to Kendall and raised her eyebrows.

"And?"

"It's Tammy."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

J.R wanted to run… Just run as far as he could from this place. His ears burned with the words that had turned him from hopeful to desolate within seconds. But something inside told him to stay. He knew that this was a possibility – that AJ wouldn't trust him, believe him or even ever want to see him again, but this was his son. His only son. And J.R wasn't ready to give up on the little amount of faith he still had in him that he could build a relationship with his son…as damned as it was. He dropped his head and sighed.

"I get that AJ. I do. I understand that you don't believe me or you can't trust me, but I'm not asking it to happen right away. I knew that it wouldn't _if_ you ever gave me the chance. I owe you _a lot_ in terms of explanations and I'm well aware of the fact that anything I say won't be enough. But I promise you that if you let me into your life again, even if it's for 30 seconds every other day of the week, I will spend it, first of all doing everything I can to make you believe it. Secondly, answer any and all questions you have and finally stay sober and keep away from your mothers…" J.R dropped his forehead into the palms of his hands as his elbows rested on the table. Using his fingertips, he rubbed the fatigue from his eyes and gazed back at AJ lovingly. "Punish me all you want, but if I haven't changed, as you think, and you still feel like I'm still a villain, then I hope you remember this much. I love you AJ and you're the best part of me… I'm uh…gonna be in Pine Valley for good. If you change your mind, I'm staying at the _Yacht Club_."

J.R moved to get up, but his son's hand stopped him as it rested on his wrist. Looking down at AJ, J.R saw the best of him in the young adult's eyes, however he wasn't stupid. No. He knew _very_ well the reason why AJ turned out to be the tremendous and kind-hearted person he is. Bianca and Marissa… No doubt.

"I want to believe you."

"Then believe me."

"I can't. You've hurt me too many times and you've hurt Mom-"

"Which I regret. I should've tried to understand her unhappiness and just forget about it and get over all of that and focus on you. But I couldn't. I was so…embarrassed and miserable about that I didn't react the way I should have… I got arrested, I could only think of how I let you down… Just one chance AJ… That's all I'm asking for. Please."

AJ regarded his father with a squinted eye. He tried his best to evaluate everything J.R had said to him and, if he were being honest, a rather large portion of AJ _did_ believe that the older man before him was telling the truth and he had given his apology without an agenda…other than getting closer to his son.

"Okay…" AJ said.

"Wh-what?"

"I said okay, but what I said before still applies! You stay sober and the _moment_ I see you anywhere near alcohol, you leave my life for good."

"Okay, okay. I promise."

AJ looked at J.R and hoped that he would be proven wrong because he wanted, more than anything, to not be made a fool of…especially from his father.

"So uh…I'm guessing you probably have somewhere to be?" J.R asked.

AJ looked at the time on his phone and shook his head.

"Nah. I have some time still. I can talk some more."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa's hand was clasped tightly within Bianca's as the two of them made their way back to their bedroom after speaking with Kendall. The brunette led the way as the redhead remained silent. The warmth emanating from her wife's palm was proving to have a calming effect on her and she never wanted to let go. She shifted her body closer as it collided with Bianca's side. At the light tap, Marissa was caught in her wife's serene look of love and understanding. They came upon their bedroom door and pushed it open. Bianca pulled Marissa into the confined space and led her to the bed.

"You sit and relax."

"And what about you?" Marissa asked as Bianca made to move away. Her arm was outstretched, still attached to the redhead's by their hands. For a woman who seemed tired and mentally in the wrong frame due to their previous encounter, Marissa had a surprisingly strong grip.

"I," Bianca said as she sat. "Am going to stay right here and tidy things up a bit, but you should definitely get some rest and relieve your stress. You remember what Griff said about stress and your burns. That-"

"They can start to itch if I get too riled up, I know." She finished. "Well…can we at least do something together? Can we relax together? I mean I'm not the _only _one injured here… Besides," Marissa said with a smile. "Before all of this crap came up, you and I were having some relaxation time of our own, weren't we?" She said suggestively.

Bianca chuckled and raised her eyebrows as she watched Marissa easing her face towards hers.

"Yes, we were…_but_-"

Marissa groaned.

"I hate 'buts'-"

"You and I will have plenty of time to…'relax'. For now, though, you are going to stay in bed for a bit. We have just over an hour before the kids get home from school and at that time, they're gonna be all over you and your energy should be sky high so…"

"So…bedridden?"

Bianca smiled and shifted closer to Marissa.

"Only for the next hour."

"Okay, okay, fine. _But_ I'm _not_ sleeping. I think I've slept enough to last me a lifetime."

"Fine by me, but you're not leaving this bed."

Marissa couldn't help the wide, playful smile that formed on her face.

"There it is," Bianca said.

"There what is?"

"Your smile… Was beginning to think that it would never come back that big after we ran into J.R."

"Oh shut up," Marissa replied. "Are you kidding me?" She asked. She moved closer to Bianca so their hips rested against each other. Her hand moved to cup Bianca's face as Marissa leaned forward, close enough to see the multiple shades of brown in her wife's eyes. "Between our kids being here and happy and you? This smile will _always_ be here. It might disappear from time to time, but it'll _always_ come back."

"Good." Bianca whispered.

"Good… So uh…Kendall said there's a bunch of stuff-"

"Oooh, right!" The brunette looked around the room and spotted 4 boxes settled against the wall. She stood up and walked over to them with the feeling of Marissa's stare burning into her back. She bent down to rummage through the boxes, but only found a multitude of photo albums and home videos.

Marissa watched her wife's form getting further and further away from their spot on the bed as she headed towards the wall on the opposite side of the room. It had been several seconds before the redhead could hear anything from the brunette; a small gasp or a sigh of relief.

"Is everything okay?" Marissa asked.

"Uh…yeah. The umm, the photo album that Sofia and Nathan made me of what I missed out on is safe…" She said nonchalantly.

"So, what's wrong?" Marissa asked as she rose off of the bed and walked over to Bianca. She kneeled beside her and tilted her head, trying to get the brunette to look at her.

"Nothing-"

"Bianca?"

"No, no it's just…it's just it seems that there's _a lot_ I missed out on. That's all."

"Well…that's true, but luckily for you, the kids and I knew that you'd come back and would want to see everything you missed."

"That's the thing…I'm not sure that I do."

Marissa moved her hand in search of Bianca's, trying to be the source of any form of comfort she could possibly be.

"Why not?"

Bianca looked up to see the worried look in Marissa's eyes before it hit her what that gaze meant.

"No, no, it's not that! It's not what you're thinking at all, I swear… I just want to remember everything first and I'm pretty sure some of these have stuff that is locked up in my head…somewhere."

The redhead nodded in comprehension while simultaneously sighing silently to herself in relief.

"I can understand that… The element of surprise isn't always a good one."

"Exactly."

"Okay, well…" Marissa turned Bianca's face to she could look at her. "That doesn't mean we can't look at the stuff you weren't here for. Or, if you prefer, we can look at photos and I can tell you the stories behind them."

Bianca had let her eyes wander from Marissa's face to the boxes next to her, yet again. Her stare had wandered over the various titles of the DVDs stashed in the boxes and a single name caught her attention.

_Gabby_.

She reached into the box and pulled it out.

"Did you wanna watch that?" Marissa asked as she noticed the small bit of tears that had risen in Bianca's eyes as she continued to stare at the casing.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"You miss her?"

"Yeah… I mean I love all of our kids, but she hasn't been here in months and I have all of these memories of her and all I wanna do now is hug her and hold onto her and never let go of her."

The redhead chuckled lightly and pulled her wife towards her into a tight and warm embrace.

"Okay," she said and pulled away. She kissed her lips lightly for a moment before taking the video, slowly, from her hands. "How about we spend whatever time we have left before the kids come home watching this? That way, when Gabby comes home, you'll know the woman she's become and you can get to know her even more."

"'Woman'?"

"Ahh, yeah. She's 14, but she could pass for 24. _So_ smart."

"Like her mom," she said staring at Marissa.

"Aren't we thinking utterly high of ourselves?" She teased.

"I was talking about you, you moron." Bianca said lightly.

"Oooh really?"

"Yes, really. And I say we _do_ watch this. And _you_ are supposed to be in bed. Go, now!"

Marissa laughed as she stood, pulling Bianca up with her.

"So anxious to get me into bed." She joked.

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny. Go and I'll put this on."

Obeying her wife's demand, Marissa walked over to the bed and sat on it. She watched as her wife reached upward to insert the DVD into the small widescreen television that was settled on top of the small armoire. Once she pushed it into the DVD slot, Bianca returned to the bed. She settled down on her side and rested against the headboard. She moved to grab the remote, but noticed that Marissa was already holding it.

"Looking for this?" She asked mockingly.

"Yes, as a matter of fact."

Marissa shrugged and stirred, heading in Bianca's direction. Opening her wife's legs, she settled in between them and turned around to face the TV, waiting to be played. She, carefully, leaned backwards, but not before Bianca could protest somewhat.

"Marissa, what are you doing?"

"I thought we were going to watch this video." She reasoned.

"We are, but I meant what are _you_ doing?"

"Watching it with you."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Oh! You mean, sitting here?"

"Yes. _That_."

"Well," She continued as she resumed her position and leaned into Bianca, resting the back of her head against her wife's chest plate. "You said you wanted to hold me." She reached for Bianca's arms and wrapped them around her waist as she rested her legs against the brunette's and caught a sight of them colliding together.

"But your back-"

"Is fine." She said, echoing Bianca's words from before and turning her head to meet her gaze. "I promise you. You have nothing to worry about."

Bianca held Marissa closer, tightening her arms around her waist slightly.

"I'm always going to worry about you."

"Of course you are. Pointless to argue with you, huh?" She asked.

"Exactly… Now press play."

"**Okay, so Gabby hates being on video so we're going to sneak up on her."**

Marissa and Bianca both could recognize the whispering voice on the video to be AJ. The camera moved slowly, inching towards Gabby, closer and closer.

"**She never used to be so shy or so reserved."**

"**Talking to yourself again AJ? You know they say that that's the first sign of insanity, right?"**

Marissa could feel the vibration of Bianca's laughter throughout her body. Miranda's joke or attempt to upset her brother had clearly amused her.

"**Shut up Mimo. Video camera," AJ said as he shifted the frame to focus on Miranda. "See?"**

"**Okay. So **_**why**_** are you taking a video?"**

"**This tape is for Ma when she comes home."**

"**Ahh. And because Gabby now shies away from the camera-"**

"**I gotta sneak up on her to let Ma know what she's been up to all this time."**

"**Okay, good luck with that and when Gabby takes your head off, don't come crying to me for help to get her off of you."**

"**Nah, she loves me too much."**

**Miranda laughed wholeheartedly. **

"**Yeah, ooookay. We'll see about that."**

**Once Miranda was out of sight, AJ shifted his attention back to his younger sister who had her tongue sticking out as she quickly moved her hand across the pages of what looked like a notebook.**

"**I think she's drawing something. Mom, seriously, she's awesome when it comes to sketching…and she's only 12! Some serious stuff."**

**Gabby looked up and her eyes widened.**

"**AJ! You idiot! What are you doing?"**

Bianca and Marissa kept watching. Gabby looked upset and had gotten up from her seat. AJ remained still and once Gabby began to advance her stride in his direction, the frame of the screen began to work its way back as well.

"**C-c'mon Gabz. It's for Ma when she gets home."**

"**Gimme the camera AJ."**

"**Now why would I do that?"**

"**Cuz I'll kick your butt that's why!"**

"_**That**_** would require you to catch me first."**

The two women on the bed began to laugh as the screen began to shake. AJ had refused to turn the video camera off and took off in a run to escape his little sister.

"**Miranda!"**

AJ could be heard on the video. Bianca couldn't help the snicker that escaped her mouth as the television caught a glimpse of Gabby, looking determined, to get AJ. He may have been taller, but she was faster. AJ lifted the camera and the redhead and the brunette recognized their kitchen. The blonde was headed for the table where Gabby had been drawing. He took the sketchpad from its comfortable place on the table and ran out.

"**AJ you dummy! Give it back!"**

"**I just wanna see it."**

"**I'm not done you idiot! Give it back!"**

**The pair of them were now in the family room, which was carpeted at the time and was void of a coffee table in the middle of the room. AJ lifted the camera to get a clear and full view of Gabby's look of agitation. **

"**Damn Gabby. This is really good."**

**The camera remained focused of Gabby who was moving closer and closer when finally, before AJ could do anything, she pounced, knocking the both of them to the floor. The sound of the sketchpad flying through the air and landing somewhere in the distance could be heard. AJ was on his back and he brought the camera up, getting a close up of Gabby's angry face.**

"**Ow! Gabby!"**

"**Told you not to!"**

"**Miranda!" AJ yelled.**

**The pattering of footsteps was coming down the stairs.**

"**Oh man!" Miranda said.**

"**Help me!" AJ pleaded.**

**The camera was ripped from AJ's hands and it now showed Gabby mounted on AJ's abdomen, holding him down.**

"**There, now you have both hands." Miranda said.**

"**That's not what I meant!"**

"**Hey, I told you not to come calling me for help when she started to kick your ass."**

"**Ha ha!" Gabby teased. The two of them continued to wrestle. AJ attempted to wriggle out of Gabby's hold, but even though the youngster was tiny, she could hold her own. Miranda's laughter was clear behind the camera and she began to wander off to an object out of place in the corner. She tore the camera from her fighting siblings and walked towards the sketchbook on the floor that had been thrown previously. Her hand made its way in the shot as it picked up the book and a, explicit view of the unfinished sketch was shown.**

"My God," Bianca whispered as she saw what was being displayed on the screen. There it was, in black and white, a vivid and near perfect sketch of her. The details were intricate; the curve of her lop-sided grin radiated the page giving rise to a light in her irises, which were clearly lined; the fallen pieces of hair that had escaped her loose ponytail that had rested against the swell of her cheeks. "That's me."

"Yeah… Beautiful isn't it?"

"It's exact!"

"You should see the finished drawing. I'm pretty sure Gabby has it with her at school. She never goes anywhere without that thing."

Before Bianca could speak a word, a loud knock came from the door. The two of them disentangled themselves before replying to the one on the other side of the door.

"Yes?" Marissa asked.

AJ popped his head into the room.

"Hey Mom," he said smiling. "You guys got some time for a couple of kids who missed you both?"

Bianca and Marissa smiled at each other and then at AJ.

"Of course," Bianca voiced.

AJ opened the door fully as Nathan and Sofia ran past him, nearly knocking him off of his feet.

"Careful guys! Mom's still trying to get better." AJ watched his sibling run to their mothers. "I'm going to help out Ian with his homework. You four have fun." At that, the blonde exited the room.

Sofia ran into Bianca's arms while Nathan hopped onto the bed next to Marissa and gently wrapped his little arms around her neck. The two older ladies sat at the foot of the bed. Bianca sat Sofia into her lap as Marissa did the same with Nathan.

"Hi Mommy," Sofia said looking at Marissa. Bianca glanced from her little daughter in her lap to her wife who moved one of her hands from Nathan to run it through Sofia's auburn locks.

"Hi Baby Girl."

"Nafan! Lemme say hi to Mommy. Let's trade."

"Okay!"

Sofia hopped off of Bianca's lap as Nathan did the same from Marissa's. They traded places. Bianca picked Nathan up and hugged his tightly.

"Hi Momma Binx," he said smiling. Bianca melted at the sight of Nathan's grin. He buried his head into her neck and at the small gesture the brunette kissed his small head.

"Hi Mommy," Sofia said as she climbed onto the bed and sat in what little space there was between her two moms.

"You can hug Mommy Sofia."

"But AJ said to be careful."

"That doesn't mean you can't hug or kiss Mommy." Bianca said. The four-year-old looked up at her other mother. "Trust me Munchkin, Mommy wants you to hug her and play with her. It'll make her feel better."

"Rweally?" She asked. Bianca leaned down connecting her forehead with her daughter's.

"Really, really."

"See?" Marissa asked. "Now, get into these arms you!" She said as she widened them and waited for her youngest to fall into her lap. Sofia gave her mother a huge grin and rose to her feet and hugged Marissa tightly.

"Are you okay Mommy?" Nathan asked as Sofia dropped into Marissa's lap.

"I'm fine Nate. A little sore, but I'll be back to normal very soon."

"What happened Mommy?" Sofia questioned.

"Well," Marissa said. "Do you remember the fire?"

"Yeah."

Nathan nodded.

"When I was helping Mommy Binx get out of the house, something fell on me and my back got hurt. But I'll be okay very soon."

"Yes, she will. And we're going to help her as much as we can." Bianca said as she looked at Marissa.

"I'm just glad that you're going to get better Mommy," Sofia said cuddling up to Marissa as she rested her head.

"Me too," Nathan said. He leaned forward and kissed the redhead's cheek. Bianca shifted closer to her wife and Nathan crawled into Marissa's lap. The children occupied a leg each and as Bianca watched the two of them cuddled into their mother's chest.

"So, what do you two say to a movie night?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**Two weeks later**

"Hey you!" Bianca said as she watched Miranda zoom past her. "Where you going?"

"Hey. G'morning. Uh well, I've gotta take Nate, Fia and Little Bianca to school and then I've gotta go pick up Gabby." She said.

"Pick up Gabby? She's done school?"

Miranda nodded.

"Yup. She called me last night."

"And you're going to go pick her up at school?"

"Yeah. She needs a family member above the age of 18 to sign her out of her dorm and seeing as how Mom is still recovering and you're looking after her, so I told her I'd be there to get her out of, what she describes, as a hellhole."

"Can't wait to get home, huh?"

"That she can't."

"Is AJ going with you?" Bianca asked. She hoped he would because she didn't like the sound of her first child travelling hours out of Pine Valley alone.

"No, he's spending time with J.R today… They've been spending a lot of time together."

"More than Marissa would like."

"More than _any_ of us would like. But I trust AJ and he's got a good head on his shoulders. He can tell bullshit from the truth… So if he says that they're just talking and he really thinks that he's changed…I can't believe I'm going to say thing, but-"

"Then maybe J.R really has changed?"

Miranda smirked and nodded.

"Yeah."

"I hope he's right." Bianca said.

"So do I… Well, I uh, better get going. I'll talk to you when I get back… Actually I'll call you when I get there."

"You better."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Bianca had been able to remember anything and it was beginning to frustrate her. She hadn't had this much time between flashbacks since she first came home back in February. Now, here she was nearly 4 months later and didn't have even a third of her memories in tact. She tried everything to get anything to come back to her; music, photos, home videos, newspaper clippings, magazine articles and her result? Nothing. Not even a "tip-of-the-tongue" phenomenon had made itself known to her. She felt like she drawing a complete blank.

"Stop it." Marissa said as she lifted her head from Bianca's shoulder. The two of them were sitting on the couch.

"Huh?" Bianca asked as she came out of her own head.

"I said 'stop it'."

"I don't-"

"Baby, I know you haven't had a memory in a while-"

"Two weeks-"

"But if you keep trying so hard nothing is going to happen, okay?"

"I know, but it's hard."

"I know. I know it is and, not that you don't look adorable when you're thinking so hard because you do, but seriously you can't be so hard on yourself."

Bianca looked down at Marissa and tried to smile, but a goofy grin was the only thing to cross her face.

"Promise me you'll stop trying so hard? …Please?"

Bianca leaned down and connected her lips with Marissa's in a soft yet fierce kiss. Her hand that was placed on her wife's shoulder closed its grip to pull the redhead closer. She fell back, pulling Marissa with her. Her head hit the pillow beneath her as their embrace became more and more intense. Marissa pulled back a bit.

"Okay, I promise." Bianca said.

"Good." Marissa said pecking the brunette's lips. "So uh…I got a call from these contractors."

"And?"

"The house is well under way. They said we can go see it anytime we want. It's safe."

Bianca smiled.

"You wanna go see it?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca and Marissa were a little nervous, truth be told. Neither of them had been to the house since the night of the fire and going to a place they used to call home, knowing it wouldn't be the same, was a little nerve-wracking. As they exited the vehicle, Bianca and Marissa looked up at the house. From the exterior it looked the same, but once they would get inside, things would be different. There were no workers in sight, which left them alone to look at their progressing home.

"They said to go round back to the basement to get in." Marissa said.

"Okay," Bianca replied as she held out her hand. Noticing the action, Marissa smirked and took a strong hold of her wife's hand, clasping their fingers together in a tight lock. They moved around the side of the house and walked down the hill of dusty grass. Once they reached the back doors, they walked through the plastic coverings they surveyed their surroundings. The furniture was gone and the floors had yet to be laid. Beneath their feet was dried cement, waiting to be dressed with the tiles that had previously occupied the space.

"Wow," Marissa said.

"I know… It's empty."

"And cold," the redhead added as she cuddled up to Bianca. The brunette wrapped her arms around Marissa and despite the warm weather and blazing sun, Bianca could feel the goosebumps forming under her exposed skin that met her wife's. "What do you think though?" Marissa asked.

"Personally, I don't find it better than before."

The two women turned at the sound of a third voice interrupting them.

"T-Tammy," Marisa muttered.

"Miss me?" The blonde asked.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" Bianca inquired as she tightened her arms around Marissa.

"Two _very_ valid questions Ms. Montgomery," she said as she walked towards them getting closer with every step she took. "I'm here to get what I want…and what I want, you're holding. And the _only_ way to get what I want is to start what I finished."

What happened next Bianca couldn't tell. Everything around her suddenly became black and every bone in her body felt like jello. Before she lost all consciousness, she could hear the piercing plea of her name being called from the lips of the one she loved.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

I have NO excuse for being so late in updating. I had a lot of personal things to deal with this past week and unfortunately it became very difficult to get this chapter written. Hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review.

Lotsa love!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	30. Dreams

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Bianca's POV**

Was I such a dreamer?  
>Put yourself in my shoes<br>Careful what you wish for love…  
>What's the matter with our ways?<br>I'm missing something not to blame  
>Don't you worry, this will pass<br>It's 'cause my mind's been spinning  
>No control, I lost my head<br>All of it is just beginning  
>Not enough<br>Never enough  
>I only wanna keep on dreaming…<p>

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_She was cold…and wet. Her clothes were soaked in something. It was sticky. This place didn't smell right. This place smelled like…blood? _

"_C'mon Little Montgomery… Wake up."_

"_Is she awake?"_

"_Not yet."_

"_Well get her out of it. The boss is coming back soon and wants her conscious."_

"_You hit her head really hard. I can't exactly bring her out of a coma. Especially because she needs medical attention."_

"_You're a wimp, y'know that?"_

_She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to make a sound or move a muscle. She was numb and her head was pounding. She just wanted to make it all go away…for it to be a bad dream. __**It's just a dream**__, she thought. __**Just a very bad dream. **_

"_We have strict orders to keep her __**alive**__ you idiot! I'm not a wimp, I'm just making sure we follow everything to a T!"_

"_She's fine! Just wake her up!"_

"_Hey, can you open your eyes?" The calmer voice asked. "Wake up."_

…_Wake up…_

"_Wake up…please, Baby, wake up…"_

_She was lost between two worlds: dream and reality. The pain of reality had her pulling away from wakefulness and plunging her back into the darkness that she had come to know, but that voice. She heard a voice and tried desperately to let go of it, but she refused to…she couldn't. That voice was far too powerful and emotional and full of tenderness and affection that the intimacy and devotion leaked from the expression and the tears of desperation. She opened her eyes to have nothing but a ceiling staring back at her. The feelings of pain in her side were almost unbearable, however her attention shifted entirely by the heat radiating in the palm of her own warm hand._

"_Please, please, __**please**__, Baby wake up. We need you. Your family needs you. Our kids need you… I need you!" The voice whispered. _

_She shifted her head and looked down at her hand intertwined with another. She ran her eyes up the length of said other's arm to the auburn hair._

"_N…not…"_

_The redhead shot up, a look of disbelief on her face._

"_Bianca." She whispered._

"_Not as much…as I need you." She said while taking a deep breath. "Ahh, ow!"_

_Marissa scurried forward and sat on the bed next Bianca's lying form._

"_N-no, don't move."_

"_This hurts." Bianca said as a tear rolled down her face. She looked up at Marissa who wore a worried look. She brought her hand to her face and caressed it._

"_I know," she said. "But try not to move okay?"_

"_But I can't see you."_

"_Then let me do the moving for you, okay?" Marissa adjusted her body coming into Bianca's view. "That better?"_

_Bianca smirked._

"_Much."_

"_Okay uh, you need your doctor. I'm gonna go get him."_

"_No wait!" Bianca said as she reached out for Marissa's arm. _

"_Wh-what?"_

"_Is everyone okay? Are __**you**__ okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"_

"_No. He didn't get a chance to. Jesse got a hold of him before he could do anything else and you took that bullet for me. I could really kick your ass right now! __**Why**__ would you do that? Do you have any idea how stupid that was? That bullet was meant for me!"_

"_Marissa! Stop talking, okay?" Bianca let out a sigh. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for you to come into my life? I don't wanna lose you and I don't know what would've happened if that gunshot hit you instead of me." Bianca looked at Marissa whose facial expression remained unchanged. _

"_What about me then, huh? Do you have any idea how I was feeling while I was waiting for you to come back to me?" She began to cry, which rattled Bianca a bit. Marissa leaned forward touching her forehead to Bianca's. "I __**never**__ wanna be without you looking back at me that long ever again! And I swear to God Montgomery if you __**ever**__ step in front of a bullet for me again I'll-"_

_Bianca leaned upwards and kissed Marissa with every ounce of strength she could muster. She craned her neck to occupy her love's mouth with anything other than her words. It felt so good and right and she wanted to make it last as long as her recuperating body could handle. She could feel Marissa's lips latch onto hers so fervently that she thought she might pass out from the amount of pleasure she felt in a single kiss that seemed to define what it meant to miss the one you love… What it meant to find peace in the knowledge that the one you love was okay, there to stay… Bianca found that Marissa was pulling away._

"_Not fair." She whispered._

"_What isn't?" Bianca replied equally as softly._

"_You can't kiss me like __**that**__ when I'm angry with you. It just makes it harder for me."_

_Bianca chuckled. _

"_Good. I hate it when you're angry with me."_

_She lifted her neck upwards once more and kissed Marissa._

"_You better not do anything like this ever again." Marissa said against Bianca's mouth._

"_Okay… Can I kiss you now?" Bianca asked planting her mouth on Marissa's once more._

"_It was just like a bad dream." Marissa finished before Bianca pulled their mouths together again._

…_Bad dream…_

_**It's just a bad dream**__, she kept thinking. _

"_Wake up little Montgomery. Wake up… Wake up! …God dammit, WAKE UP!"_

_Bianca felt a swift kick to her ribs. She let out a wicked yelp and the groan that followed. She opened her eyes and saw, like every other time she refused to 'wake up' that she was in the same dark rooms that they had been transferring her to over the last few years. Her lip was numb and swollen; her head pounded at least five times a day and she could barely breathe with the amount of times she had been kicked in the chest. She rolled over, and tried to catch her breath and bear the pain she knew was headed her way._

"_My, my, you __**are**__ a sorry sight indeed Miss Montgomery."_

_Bianca looked up at the hooded figure with a voice she obviously could not recognize due to its warping. _

"_Wh…who are you?"_

_There was a small bit of mechanical laughter._

"_Oh please. Where's the fun in that? Who I am isn't important. What I want? __**That's**__ the important thing and the sad bit for you is that you have what I want and I need you here, safe and sound from your family, in order to get it. So you're going to spend the rest of your life rotting in this place while the people who __**supposedly**__ love you search for someone they'll never find. And when they give up, and I know they will, what's now yours will be all mine."_

_Bianca looked around and saw nothing but black, but she knew that voice was so close because she could feel the breath on her face. She reached behind her to stabilize herself, but was met with a cold pipe._

"_Y-y…you underestimate m-my family…"_

"_Oh, I don't think so. Why do you think they haven't found you yet? They gave up."_

_The lights flickered allowing the brunette to see her surroundings. Bianca lifted the object off of the ground and took a swing in the direction of the person before her and catching the hard and heavy pipe in their ribs._

"_AHH! BITCH!"_

_Bianca shifted forward and scrambled around the others who tried to get a hold of her. She lifted her arm once more as the lights flickered yet again. As her chosen weapon came down once more, it caught her captor's leg and when she heard a crack, she was satisfied._

"_GET A HOLD OF HER!"_

_She felt her arms being tugged backwards as she was dragged across the floor._

"_Stupid bitch!"_

"_Still think J.R Chandler could do something like this, Boss? Framing him might be a little risky."_

"_You stupid moron. Shut up!"_

_Those were the last words before she felt something blugeon her on the back of the head and just before her world went black, she caught a glimpse of gorgeously vivid red hair and piercing hazel eyes. And the thoughts of J.R being framed consumed her._

…_J.R…_

"_So…using AJ to get Marissa back at the mansion?"_

"_Yes, I am. A suite of rooms right down the hall from her son… How horrible can I be?"_

"_Uh, pretty horrible…if I remember right... Just __**don't**__ hurt Marissa again."_

"_I never would."_

"_Sure."_

…_Just don't hurt Marissa again…_

"_Bianca! …How are you doin'?"_

"_I should get cards printed. I'm fine, thanks for asking… Sorry. I just, I've been getting that a lot lately. I'm good."_

"_Well, that's good to hear."_

"_And Marissa?"_

"_Oh she's great. In fact, you know, the two of us are starting to get to a really great place. _

"_Okay…"_

"_You don't seem so convinced."_

"_It's none of my business."_

"_I know that you and Marissa have gotten pretty close…friends… You're protective of her, I get that."_

"_I don't doubt that you __**care**__ about Marissa."_

"…_I __**don't**__ care about Marissa… I __**love**__ her and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get her back."_

"_See that's what I'm afraid of that 'whatever it takes' part."_

"_Marissa's happy… AJ loves having his mom back at home… Why can't you see that as a good thing?"_

"_It's not up to me."_

"_Yeah, but Marissa listens to you… She respects you… A little encouragement won't hurt."_

"_I told you, I'm not going to push her."_

"_Even if you know that's what Marissa __**ultimately**__ wants? …To be a family again?"_

"_I know that's what __**you**__ want. I __**also**__ know that when you get something, you sometimes get bored and you go looking for something else."_

"_Well, that's not going to happen again."_

"_Yeah? What's different this time?"_

"_I am… We both are. Look, I screwed up and I ruined the __**best**__ thing that ever happened to me… But if I get a second chance…I won't make the same mistake… I want Marissa to be happy… You know what Bianca? Don't do anything for me… Do it for Marissa."_

"_Okay, so what if I do __**consider**__ this little…PR campaign for you? There would have to be a few conditions. You know what? A-actually just one!"_

"…_Name it!"_

"_If you hurt Marissa again, I will become your living, breathing nightmare."_

…_Nightmare…_

_She couldn't sleep anymore. The fear ate away at her. She had already done so much in her life and fear always seemed to find her…anytime she thought that she had found some stable ground. After her stay in rehab for anorexia she was certain, beyond the shadow of a doubt about her sexuality…if only she could overcome her fear of having to tell her mother and everyone else she loved in her life. She was scared went she went to rehab, and she was scared when she came out to her mother. Now? It was Michael Cambias and the memory of his grotesque and aggressive touch on her body that scared her. How could she tell anyone? She couldn't. She felt so afraid of everything._

"_I'm here… And I will understand… And honey, maybe I can make you feel better-"_

_She groaned in agony and fear when her mother tried to soothe her by running her hand through Bianca's hair. The touch was too much to bear, mirroring those of a monster to fresh to be rid of so soon. As the flash of Michael pulling her hair flashed in her mind, she fell to the floor._

"_Oh Honey, dear God, Bianca, Sweetheart, what? Honey, please tell me. What-what happened?"_

_She only continued to cry but soon felt the comfort of the warm and strong arms of her mother wrapping themselves around her shaking form._

"_Sweetheart, I can't do anything unless you tell me what it is, Honey, that's upsetting you-"_

"_Sorry-"_

"_No, what is it?"_

"_I don't wanna worry you, Mom."_

"_Oh Honey, just please tell me."_

_How could she? She felt so ashamed. But this was her mother, if not her, who could she trust? She knew that a parent only asked because they were worried… Could she tell her? Could she? She didn't want to worry her._

…_Worry…_

"_I'm just a father asking about his daughter, right?"_

"_And __**I**__ am late for an appointment-"_

"_Okay wait I-I don't wanna keep you, but…are you sure you're ready to be helping people at this time? …After what happened?"_

"…_I've been through worse."_

"_I know. I remember."_

"…_And, I uh… You were very helpful to me at that time. I'm very grateful to you for that."_

"_Well, I'm offering my help again."_

"…_Why? Why David? What do you want?"_

"_No. No agenda. Just a friend helping a friend."_

_David…helpful?_

…_David…_

"_But Mom and Uncle Jack thought it would be really nice to throw bird seeds. The rice is bad for the birds."_

"_Because the birds eat it, blow up, and die?"_

"_Uh huh."_

_You know that's a lie. Well, a myth anyway. Go ahead, soak some rice in warm water, see what happens. Might not be the __**greatest**__ thing for the birds, but they certainly don't die."_

"_Well…then why switch?"_

"_Law suits… Bird seed uh, or rice, I'm sorry, on sidewalks and church steps can be really slippery. But isn't it funny how we choose to believe the bird story?"_

"…_Are you sure that's true?"_

"_As sure as I am that you're not telling me everything Bianca… And I'm not going to settle for stories and myths. I'd like you to tell me the truth."_

…

"_Well, Mom is afraid that I'm not going to get over my latest break-up."_

"_Your latest break-up? Wait a minute…"_

"_Oh! Uh, I know I said that everything was great with Lena, but I didn't wanna talk about it… Lena and I…we just didn't work out… And uh, it was painful and disappointing."_

"_Hmmm…so that caused you to wind up on the edge of the roof?-"_

"_David, I went out for some air and you startled me. You know? I nearly fell."_

"…_That ribbon's frayed…"_

"_Oh…thanks… When you saw me at Myrtle's, I was a mess."_

"_And now you're in charge of wedding arrangements."_

…_Wedding…_

_It was cold and the star cloak had taken over the sky blue that usually illuminated the sky. She had to escape the crowd of relatives, friends and family and catch her breath. She had been the centre of attention at a wedding before, but that didn't end so well and this one? This one Bianca Montgomery was overtly sure of. This was the end for her. Marissa was her past, present and future and that was it. There was nothing else for her in love; nothing and no one, but Marissa. She exited the venue through the back doors and found a soft, white glow coming from the patio overlooking endless greenery. She chuckled to herself as she recognized the auburn colour of her hair and laughed even more when she realized the reason for Marissa being out there. It was almost if she was waiting for her. She walked closer and closer to her wife…she loved being able to call her that…and when she got there, she wrapped her arms around Marissa's waist, pressing kisses to the base of the back of her neck. When the redhead let out a squeal of surprise, Bianca simply giggled, but continued to place the butterfly kisses she had begun on her wife's neck. _

"_Couldn't take the heat?" Marissa asked. Bianca felt her hands take a loving hold of her arms._

"_Apparently you couldn't either."_

"_Nah…I'm just __**very**__ perceptive when it comes to you. I saw you bolting for the door and I figured you come out here. I'm your wife now. The __**least**__ I can do is be waiting for you whenever you need me."_

"_Mmm," Bianca moaned. "Good to know."_

_She moved her arm upwards and she felt Marissa's hand follow. Her hand never left her wife's body as it traveled up from her waist to land on her cheek. Bianca, gently, caressed the redhead's face as if it begged her to turn her head. Within seconds, brown eyes met hazel and Bianca could no longer control herself. Her happiness overwhelmed her as her lips descended onto Marissa's. She could hear the large intake of breath that the redhead had taken in through her nostrils as their lips and tongue battled in a sensual liplock._

"_Mmkay, mmkay," Bianca muttered, but her wife apparently had other ideas. "Babe?" She tried once more and then Marissa let go with a hefty breath. _

"_Okay, okay. I'm sorry."_

"_Don't be."_

"_It's just after last night? Being away from you? That was…"_

"_A nightmare?"_

_Marissa smirked._

"_Yeah…"_

"_But now?"_

"_Now? Now, I just wanna have you all to myself."_

_Bianca laughed._

"_I meant tonight."_

"_Tonight?"_

_Bianca nodded._

"_Tonight…feels like a dream."_

…_Dream…_

**Bianca's POV**

**Dream: **a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep; a state of mind in which someone is or seems to be unaware of their immediate surroundings; an unrealistic or self-deluding fantasy…

**Dreamer: **a person who is unpractical or idealistic…

Am I dreaming? Or am I a dreamer?

Is this reality?

Is this…**memory**?

o.o.O.O.o.o

More to come! Lotsa love!

PS - Song in Bianca's POV is "Dreamer" by Uh Huh Her.


	31. Kids

o.o.O.O.o.o

**AJ's POV**

I read something somewhere that said that a child can teach an adult three things:  
>1) To be happy for no reason<br>2) To always be busy with something and  
>3) To know how to demand with all their might that which they desire…<p>

Kids are the very display of innocence, aren't they? …They also define purity, naivety, gullible, simplistic…

Would life be easier if we were all like that?

_You were a child  
>Crawling on your knees toward it<br>Making momma so proud  
>But your voice is too loud<br>We like to watch you laughing  
>You pick the insects off plants<br>No time to think of consequences  
>Control yourself<br>Take only what you need from it…_

_Memories fade, like looking through a fogged mirror… Decisions too, decisions are made and not bought, but I thought this wouldn't hurt a lot, I guess not…_

_-Kids, MGMT_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

AJ couldn't remember the last time he had been this content in his life. Maybe at the age of 7 before his parents' divorce…or maybe even after that when they decided to be friends. That isn't to say he wasn't happy these past few years, but something was always missing in his life. He didn't feel completely whole and now that his father was back in his life, that tiny piece that was missing had been filled. Looking back on everything, to say that he missed his father would be a lie. He didn't. He had always managed to occupy his mind and time; he kept busy. He loved his mother…both of them…immensely and he couldn't have asked for two better ones to raise him.

For the longest time, he had this hatred for his father. J.R Chandler was many things; spiteful, manipulative, cruel. But there was one thing that AJ was always certain of. J.R would do anything to be in his life. And to be quite frank, that scared AJ. To him, that meant anyone could get hurt, anyone could be subject to his father's anger. But the blonde teenager had to admit to one thing…

His father was definitely showing a change.

Against his better judgment and what his mother wanted, AJ managed to let his father back into his life. They had a deal and AJ had been holding up his end of it…as had J.R. Staying true to his word, J.R had completely abstained from alcohol, and the moment the substance entered the room, his father would leave, as promised, unless they were in a restaurant. However, even though they've been spending at least three evenings a week together, AJ felt that J.R had yet to show him any real change.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"So…Mom remembers me huh?" Gabby asked as Miranda drove down the freeway two exits away from Pine Valley.

"You would know," Miranda chuckled. "She called you right away."

"I know that. Just double checking."

"Riiight. She misses you a lot, you know?"

"I know." Gabby said with a smile. "I missed her too." She sighed. "I can't wait to get home… By the way, where am I sleeping now that our house-"

"Aunt Kendall's and Uncle Zach's… Spike's old room is ready for you. Sofia and Nate have moved in with little Binx and our mothers have taken the guest room."

"And what about you?"

"I'm staying with AJ. But he and I basically only go to his place to sleep. Every waking hour of the day we're at the house playing with Fia and Nate."

"Before you head off to the Centre you mean?"

"Exactly." Miranda said with a smile.

They exited the freeway and drove down the highway. As the car passed the "Welcome to Pine Valley" sign, Gabrielle Montgomery had an overwhelming feeling of joy enter her.

"So good to be home." She said.

"I'll bet. Seriously though, _why_ boarding school? You couldn't have studied the _same_ crap here?"

Gabby chuckled.

"Honestly? It was to get away from everything. Anything that reminded me about Mom's kidnapping and the fact that I may never see her again."

They came to a red light before Miranda turned to her little sister.

""You should have let us help you. Be there for you. I know I wasn't the greatest big sister and I know I'm still not, but… I should have been there for you more."

"No, Mimo. You were there. You were there as best as you knew how. Hell, you weren't _that_ much older than I am right now when Mom disappeared and someone had to take care of the Centre. And as much as Grandma helped out, I really think that the reason that place got as far as it did is because you were handling everything. It helped you cope… I just wasn't _as_ productive as you were when it came to that area."

Miranda watched the traffic light as it immediately became green. She giggled and continued to chat with her little sister.

"Seriously, are you _sure_ you're only 14?"

Gabby laughed.

"I know, I could totally be a therapist, right?"

"Oh, definitely!"

"Hey this is a good song." Gabby said as she turned up the volume on the radio. Miranda laughed as she listened to her sister begin to sing the aged tune. Rather than leaving Gabby to shout out to herself, she joined in on the fun with her sister.

"Decisions too, decisions are made and not bought, I thought this wouldn't hurt a lot, I guess not! Control yourself, take only what you need from it. A family of trees wanting to be haunted. Control yourself, take only what you need from it. A family of trees wanting to be haunted."

As Miranda made a right turn onto her Aunt and Uncle's driveway, she and Gabby noticed the number of cars in the driveway were more than usual. And one of them had been there too often within the past few months. The familiar flashing of red and blue lights had the two sisters confused and worried.

"What the hell?" Miranda said aloud.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Gabby responded as she and Miranda got out of the car.

"We'll leave your stuff in here for now, okay?" Miranda asked as she made her way to the door.

"Duh," Gabby replied as she followed her older sister.

The pair of them took a deep breath before entering the house, which was now in a full bustle.

"Mimo, you getting a serious case of déjà vu?"

Miranda watched Kendall speak to Brot. As she turned her head she could see her uncle and grandmother playing with the younger children, attempting to keep them occupied.

"Yuuuup." She said, popping the 'p'. She saw Brot walk away from her aunt. "Hey Gabz, I'm gonna go talk to Aunt Kendall, okay?"

"I'm coming with you."

Miranda and Gabby made their way over to her. When she saw Gabby, her eyes lit up.

"Gabby! Oh, I'm so glad you're home."

"Hey Aunt Kendall." She said as she pulled her into a tight hug. "What's going on?"

"Your moms have been missing for a while now. They told me they were heading out for an hour, but that was almost 8 hours ago."

"And they didn't tell you _where_ they were going?" Miranda asked.

"No."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Getting to Bianca was the only thing that mattered to her, but as quickly as she watched her wife get knocked out and fall to the floor, Marissa had been knocked unconscious as well. She felt herself coming out of a trance, or what seemed like one.

Her face was pressed against a cold, cement floor and as she opened her eyes she could see her wife's motionless body a few feet away from her. Marissa shivered involuntarily and raised her head slowly as she realized that she was in her cellar. It was cold and she shuffled as quickly as she could the moment her eyes adjusted to the dim lights that surrounded her.

"Bianca." She said as she moved across the floor. When she got to her wife, Marissa rolled her onto her back and saw that she was still unconscious. "You're okay…you're okay… Oh God. You _have_ to be okay."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_It was the middle of March. A small amount of snow still covered the ground and the air was filled with the laughter of innocent kids playing with their mothers as they passed the time, waiting for a sitter to show up. What began as a simple game, a full out intense game of tag had been the result. Kendall was chasing after Miranda, Spike and Ian while she held onto a young Gabby._

"_I'm going to get you!" Kendall screamed. "Oh man she got away! Okay, maybe I'm going to get you!" She yelled as she pointed to Gabby. "Or I'm gonna get you!" Kendal exclaimed using either hand to point to her two sons. "Oh you better run. Oooooh!"_

_The loud laughter and screeches of excitement filled Bianca's ears as she directed her two girls to the bench nearby._

"_Safety, safety!"_

"_I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you." Kendall sang out as she carried Ian. "Ooooh!"_

"_C'mon, c'mon."_

"_Good job Spikey! Come up here."_

"_Heyyy," Bianca heard a voice as she looked up to see a smiling Marissa greet them._

"_Hey!" She exclaimed. "The girls babysitter will be here any minute."_

"_It's okay, don't rush. We can talk later." Marisa giggled._

"_Ahh," said Kendall. "Actually, I think umm, maybe, you're it!" She said tagging Marissa._

"_What? No-"_

"_Yes, yes play!"_

"_No, no I'm not playing-"_

"_Yes, heeeeey, okay if you wanna be my sister's lawyer, you better play!"_

"_Oh! Well, in that case…" Marissa made a groaning sound. Bianca watched in amusement as the redhead dipped behind the bench before popping back out and chasing the kids as they ran off of the bench. She clutched her little Gabby close to her as if to protect her from getting tagged. With all of the sadness that had entered her life with her divorce from Reese, Bianca felt an ease being in this place._

"_Run! You better run!" She heard Kendall scream as she took off after Marissa who continued to chase the kids, before she stopped and turned back to Bianca. "Ooh, she's aggressive. I like that. That's good."_

"_Oh! Wait for uuuus!" She picked Gabby up before leaning back down as the youngster in her grasp grabbed her purse. Once she had a hold on it, Bianca ran after them. "Wooooooooooo!"_

_Before she knew it, they were back to where they started. She had somehow become 'it' and was chasing everyone. She backed herself against the stone pillar and waited patiently as Kendall came towards her. Being as stealth as she could, Bianca followed her sister before reaching her hand outwards._

"_You're it!" She yelled as Kendall groaned._

"_Oooh! Okay, I'm going after the…lawyer!"_

_Marissa screamed in mock annoyance before taking off as the kids followed her. The three adults, Bianca noticed, had suddenly run out of fuel._

"_Okay," Marissa said as she feigned dizziness. "A little exhausting. I need to take a break. Oh!" She twisted animatedly and collapsed onto the bench giving Ian a grin._

"_Me too!" Bianca said as she imitated her friend's twirl. She landed on the bench, her cheek colliding with Marissa's coat. She leaned into her as Kendall voiced herself._

"_Me three!" Her older sister said falling onto the bench. She straightened up. "Haha, oh. Ooh! Looks like we're in trouble!"_

"_I know." Marissa said. _

"_AHHH!"_

"_Are you gonna get us?"_

_Bianca felt herself being piled upon…and she couldn't see how she could be upset as long as she had her two little girls with her. The unfortunate thing was that Reese had been suing her for sole custody. She couldn't let that happen. Reese was being selfish. She had to be the one to raise them._

…

"_That's exactly the reason why you're going to be the one to raise them." Marissa said. She had won…they had won. Her girls were hers. All hers. _

"_Ah!" Bianca said excitedly as she saw Miranda and Gabby heading towards her._

"_Ahh and speak of the little angels." Marissa said._

"_Hi, Mommy!" Miranda exclaimed as she hugged Bianca who picked her up and sat her on the stool._

"_Oooh! I'm just-" Bianca turned around to look for Gabby and when she saw her she picked her up. "I just want to let you know how much I love you…" She said to Gabby as she turned to Miranda and placed a hand on her face. "And that I will always choose you first."_

…_There was someone missing…AJ…_

"_You're worried that J.R is going to call your bluff and release that video…aren't you?"_

"_Well, I don't think it's a bluff. And in J.R's current state of mind, I wouldn't even allow him to visit AJ."_

"_C'mere," Bianca mouthed as she took a hold of Marissa's hand and held onto it. She tried her best offer her as much comfort as she could._

"_Thank you," Marissa said in a barely audible whisper._

_AJ came rushing over._

"_You're holding hands."_

"_Yeah, that's 'cause we like each other." Marissa explained._

"_I like you too!" AJ said as he placed his hand over their intertwined ones. Bianca couldn't help the grin that came over her and watched her girlfriend as she swooned over AJ's sweetness._

"_Hey there! It's gooood to see such 'eppy femily complete with garden gnome." Tad stated with a bad accent. Bianca couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her. "Not so happy? What's up?" Tad asked._

_Sensing something between Tad and Marissa, Bianca decided to offer herself as a distraction._

"_Umm, you know what? AJ why don't we go into the kitchen? I think Nana Krystal is making some brownies. C'mon." Bianca said as she took AJ away so Marissa and Tad could speak. He got excited at the mention of the chocolate dessert and didn't hesitate to leave the table. Bianca directed them into the kitchens and saw Krystal taking a hot, new batch of brownies out of the oven._

"_Bianca, AJ." She said._

"_Hey Nana!" AJ said. "Can we have brownies?" The two older ladies giggled._

"_Of course! But you're gonna have to wait 'cause they're still hot."_

"_Okay!" AJ said as he sat on the small chair that he usually occupied when he sat in the kitchen. Bianca bent down to be leveled with him._

"_Where's Marissa?" Krystal asked Bianca,_

"_Speaking with Tad outside."_

"_Ahh." Krystal said in understanding. "I'm gonna see how those brownies are cooling."_

_Bianca watched Krystal take off before turning back to AJ who's eyes were resting on her intently._

"_What's wrong AJ?" Bianca asked._

"_If I ask you something…you wouldn't lie to me, right?"_

"_Of course not. What is it?"_

"_Do you love my mom?"_

"_Yes," Bianca nodded. "I do. I love her very much."_

"_Good. 'Cause she loves you too."_

"_I know. And I'll never forget that."_

"_And you'll be good to her?"_

_I'll be __**so**__ good to her…better than anyone ever has…except for maybe you because you are and always will be her number 1. She loves you so much."_

"_Inside out and upside down."_

"_Exactly." Bianca smiled. This kid was too amazing for words. "What else AJ?"_

_He hesitated momentarily._

"…_Are Mommy and Tad talking about Daddy?"_

_Bianca was taken aback, but kept her promise._

"…_Yes. They are."_

"_About what?"_

"_Umm, well, I can't say for sure because I can't hear them, but I think they're trying to think of a way to help your Dad out. He's a little bit sad and upset. They just want that to disappear."_

"_So do I."_

"_Are you alright AJ?" Bianca asked worried._

"_Yeah… I'm alright."_

…_Alright…_

"_**Whoa! Oh my God, I guess the kids are alright, huh?"**_

"_**Yeah."**_

"_**It's been so long since I've been to a family barbecue!"**_

"_**Well it won't be the last time, I promise."**_

"_**Good."**_

"_Hey you!"_

_Bianca jumped a little at the sound of her wife's voice. She had been staring out the window from their kitchen watching their family run around their backyard as her brother-in-law and Uncle Jack stood around the barbecue grilling hamburgers and hotdogs._

"_God! You scared me!"_

"_I did?" Marissa asked._

"_Yes. But a good scared."_

"'_A good scared'?" The redhead chuckled. "What does that even mean?"_

"_Good scared like the day I told you how I felt about you; like when you told me how you felt; like our wedding day; like when we found out that we were pregnant-"_

"_I get it." Marissa said giggling. She pulled Bianca closer against her._

"_I told you it wouldn't be the last time."_

"_Huh?"_

"_The family barbecue…I told you it wouldn't be the last time."_

"_Ahh. That you did." Marissa whispered as she leaned closer into her wife's hair before moving it away to leave a trail of lingering kisses along her neck._

"_Babe, not now." Bianca said softly, but weakly. _

"_Yes, now."_

"_We have people right outside."_

"_And the doors are locked." Marissa said as she ran her hands up and down Bianca's sides before working her way up her waist and down the lengths of her arms. She took a hold of Bianca's hands who intertwined them and wrapped Marissa's arms around her once more._

"_You're insatiable." Bianca said as she turned around to face Marissa._

"_That I am."_

_As their mouths moved closer to the others', a loud wailing came through the monitor on the counter._

"_Sofia and Nathan." They both said at the same time. They pulled away from one another and headed to the stairs. _

_Once they reached the bedroom, Bianca and Marissa made their way to the cribs only to find Nathan holding onto the rails of his and Sofia was crying softly._

"_Why don't you take Nathan and I'll take Sofia?" Marissa asked. Bianca nodded before placing a soft kiss on Marissa's cheek. She made her way over to Nathan and chuckled when she saw his legs begin to move wildly, bouncing._

"_Hey Buddy," Bianca said. "You wanna get out?"_

_Nathan continued to bounce as he stretched his arms out towards Bianca._

"_Out!" He exclaimed. "Out Momma Binx!"_

_The brunette chuckled. She took a hold of Nathan and lifted him out of his crib. He wrapped his arms around her neck as she kissed his forehead. _

_Bianca turned to look at her wife and noticed that Sofia had calmed instantly as Marissa placed her against her chest. She caught Marissa's eye, who shot her a loving gaze complete with an affectionate grin. She walked towards the redhead and when she got to her, Bianca reached a hand out to pat Sofia on the back. The little girl raised her head and smirked at her other mother._

"_Still scared?" Marissa quipped. It had earned her a playful slap from Bianca who had managed to wrap an arm around her._

_Bianca nodded._

"_Oh yeah." She said as she leaned down to place a lingering kiss on Marissa's smirking lips. "But a good scared."_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**Bianca's POV**

I read something somewhere that said that a child can teach an adult three things:

1) To be happy for no reason…like playing a simple game of tag.  
>2) To always be busy with something...like distracting a completely perceptive 8 year old with brownies.<br>3) To know how to demand with all their might that which they desire…like finally getting what you want with the one you love…

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

I hope you enjoy this chapter more than the last one!

Lotsa love and please review!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	32. Memories

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Griffin's POV**

What am I? I'm human – Heart beating, blood pumping, thinking, emotional and breathing… And what makes all of these amazing life functions work? Our brains. The one organ we have that is more bloody difficult to comprehend than _any_ other in our entire body! And why is it so damn challenging to know how it operates? Simple. Because _everything_ we know about _anything_ in this world is stored, transcribed, sensed and whatnot in it. So what happens when an area of the brain is injured? Any number of things: loss of eyesight, tumours, meningitis, and in really traumatic events…amnesia.

So…what is amnesia? There are two kinds: retrograde and anterograde. Simply put, anterograde amnesia is a loss of memory on new experiences _after_ the injury occurs. The one most people are aware of is retrograde amnesia; loss of memory of events that have taken place _before_ an accident. It can be caused by any number of things – post-traumatic stress, coma, stroke, emotional trauma, and the most commonly known…serious injury to the head.

A lot of people ask whether or not the memories can come back. And the answer is yes, they can. Anything can cause a memory to return – people, different environments, or even specific words. However it is only likely memories will return in cases of emotional trauma. With serious injuries like a shot to the head in the correct spot, these things aren't so likely. It is a definite possibility because the circuitries and networks associated with these memories, that someone might think are permanently lost, are simply disconnected. Remember those stimuli I spoke of? Those can be thought of as the connectors that make the networks go 'back online' so to speak. Now, how often do these memories come back? Could be over a series of minutes, hours, days and at random times. There's no set pattern because every brain is different and unpredictable. But there is one thing that is common…

…The forgotten memories may be quite suddenly recovered _almost in total_…

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"_Is something wrong? Did I do something to upset you?"_

"…_No. No you've done…nothing wrong. You're great… You're amazing… My best friend, right?" She waited momentarily as the redhead in front of her nodded slightly and gave a barely audibly 'mmhmm.' "And it's nothing earth shattering or, or…terrible or anything… And I certainly don't expect anything to come from it. But I just…want you to know…that I'm…attracted to you…" She held her breath waiting for Marissa to say something…anything. _

"_Are you kidding me?" She replied as if it were a joke…in disbelief._

_**Moment of truth **__she thought._

"_No. No I've felt this way for a while…"_

"_Oh, you're serious…"_

"_I just…wanted you to know…" __**Good job Montgomery. Repetition. Always a winner.**_

"…_Oh…" __**That's not good**__ Bianca thought. "…Well…thank you for telling me."_

_**Make things less awkward!**_

"…_Y-yeah, the more I didn't tell you, the more I was pulling away… And I thought that would create some kind of weird energy and you'd think something was wrong."_

"_No! And there's nothing wrong about the way you feel…"_

"…_It kinda came out of nowhere. I mean…we're friends, best friends, and that is __**all**__ I wanted. And then all these all these other feelings started…bubbling up… Oh God it feels so good just to have it out there." She said with a breath of relief. She stole a glance at the redhead who was staring at the bed below them contemplating something while biting her lip._

"…_Yeah… I mean, being honest with each other is why our friendship works… I mean it's great you felt you could be so open with me even if…"_

"_Nothing can come of it. I know… I hope you're not sorry I told you."_

_Bianca watched as Marissa's eyes widened._

"_Oh, of course not!" The redhead nodded giving Bianca an apologetic smirk, however the brunette couldn't quite read what Marissa was truly trying to tell her. The hotel room fell silent momentarily before Marissa had continued on, rambling. Bianca had wanted so much to believe what her head thought as opposed to what her ears were hearing. When Marissa voiced that she was straight, the brunette couldn't help but feel that there was so much more to be said. However, she didn't have the heart to push the matter._

"_I just like men."_

"_J.R."_

"_Well, not J.R. Well, right now, yes, J.R, but, you know, there have been others, like Scott."_

"_I remember…"_

"_I'm talking too much, aren't?"_

…_I'm talking too much aren't I…_

"_If you wanna run, then go ahead. Nobody's stopping you."_

"_No one, but me. I have been running ever since I found out that all those wonderful things that J.R did for me came from you." Bianca knew this place. The soothing sounds of the river had comforted her many times and the green of the trees had been a friend to her thoughts when she needed a moment. Now, looking upon the redhead's face, the only thing soothing her or comforting her were the words that were escaping her mouth. _"_Or no, wait, maybe it was even before that when we went away with the kids…and you told me how you felt…"_

_She remembered that hotel room all too well. It had a striking resemblance to the one at the Yacht Club._

…_The Yacht Club…_

_All she had done was emerge from the bathroom wearing nothing but a white bathrobe. Memories from the previous night flooded her head while she was showering and it was then she felt the immense need to hold Marissa again. Was it possible to miss her so much even though she was standing in the next room? Those memories were perfect and she would never forget them. She couldn't. If she forgot them, then she'd have forgotten herself. __**We're a packaged deal.**__ Seeing Marissa standing in the middle of the room with her back to her, Bianca couldn't wait to reach her. Not wanting to seem eager, she only extended a hand and placed it gently on her back._

"_Hiii." Marissa said after she turned to look at her. Bianca wrapped her arms lovingly around her waist, pulling her close as she rested her chin on Marissa's shoulder._

"_Hi… Are you okay?" She asked. She didn't know what this morning would bring. If Marissa felt comfortable with her or if she would realize it really wasn't what she wanted. It terrified her._

"_Iii…I'm amazing."_

_Bianca smiled brightly._

"_Really?" She asked. She could feel her lover pulling her even closer as she took a more firm grasp on her arms._

"_Yeah… I don't look amazing?" Marissa said as she moved out of Bianca's arms to face her._

"_No, you look, you look perfect."_

"_Thank you."_

"_Um, it's just uh, last night was…__**new**__ for both of us, but um…especially for you so I just wanted to make sure…everything's okay."_

"_Mmm, I am __**so**__ much better than okay."_

_Marissa leaned forward with a knowing smirk and Bianca watched the redhead as she connected their mouths in a soft kiss that left the brunette content._

_One thing she loved about Marissa was the way they could just be with each other. Their playful banter always left Bianca in a state of sheer satisfaction and laughter, but Marissa's cell phone interrupting them had brought them out of it and caused a damper on their morning afterglow. J.R had the custody hearing pushed forward and Bianca could easily see the panic that ensued in Marissa. So when the redhead asked her to go to court with her, how could she deny her?_

"_I will be your very own, personal, cheering section." She replied with a smile as she ran her hand down Marissa's arm and took a hold of her hand._

"_Thank you."_

"_Yeah, you and me…we're a packaged deal… Right?"_

_She could tell from the look in Marissa's eyes that the redhead could have cried so easily from such a simple statement._

"_Right."_

_Bianca smile nodding, mirroring Marissa's actions. Her smile transformed into a giggle as she pulled Marissa closer, holding back tears of her own. She hugged the redhead, cradling the back of her head in her hand as she placed a loving, yet quick kiss on her hair. Bianca had a feeling. She knew that no matter what came their way, they'd have each other…the good __**and**__ the bad._

…_The bad…_

_Things were bad. The worst they had __**ever**__ been between them and Bianca was scared. She was so scared that this would be the thing to end them and she didn't want that. She was a fighter. But the thoughts in her head were overpowering the ones in her heart; those soft, strong ones that would usually win her over when it came to her and Marissa. But would this be it? Could this be the end of them?_

_Bianca entered the house upset and hurt; sad from the fight she and Marissa had been having for two nights now. She didn't want to fight anymore. _

_As she walked through the hallways of hers and Marissa's home, she could hear the muffling of voices coming from the kitchen. As she got closer and closer, she recognized them to be Gabby's and Marissa's. She stopped outside of the entrance and stuck her head in to see what was happening._

"_Wow… Is that this much?" Gabby asked as she stretched her arms as far back as she possibly could. Marissa grabbed the child's hands, clasping one in each of her own and bringing them together._

"_So much more."_

"_Wow…thass a lawt."_

_She couldn't take it anymore. She needed to interrupt._

"_What's a lot?"_

_The two of them turned to look at her. Gabby's eyes lit when she saw her and Bianca couldn't help but stare at Marissa as she stared right back. The vicious feeling of longing settled within Bianca and it was taking all of her willpower to remain grounded. _

"_Mommy!"_

_Marissa took Gabby under the shoulders and let her down from her position on the counter. Gabby ran to her and jumped on the brunette, hugging her tightly. Bianca kissed her cheek and stood up, running her fingers lightly through her young daughter's hair. She looked at Marissa and had two different feelings settle within her. The first was the feeling of being punched in the gut, but then came the elevated feeling of love in her heart…it was stronger than the hurt she felt in her stomach, but she couldn't help but feel the first one begin to grow._

"_Sweetie, why don't you go upstairs and play? I need to talk to Marissa."_

"_Okay mommy," she said as she ran out of the kitchen._

_Bianca turned her attention to Marissa who simply stared at her with the tears that had begun to fall while she was speaking to her daughter. They just stood there, silent, with a gap between them. She didn't know where to start, even though she knew what she wanted to say. She didn't know how or why it came to this._

"_You uh…" Bianca said in a soft voice. "You didn't come to bed last night."_

"_Yeah I…" Marissa swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped the single tear that had escaped its place. "I didn't think you wanted me to-"_

"_That wasn't for you to decide. Just like it wasn't for you to decide as to whether or not-"_

"_I know! Okay? I know. And I'm sorry that I kept it from you-"_

"_You lied to my face about it! When I asked you about it you-you flat out lied! And you __**know**__, you __**know**__ I can't take being lied to!"_

"_I know!"_

"_Argh! God! And to have to hear about it from Krystal! Do you __**know**__ how ridiculous I felt? And then the hurt that came after that? The fact that you could tell her and not me?"_

"_Of course I couldn't tell you! The threat was __**for**__ you!"_

"_Marissa, he's in prison!"_

"_That wouldn't stop him! When I was at the hearing he literally told me that just because he was locked up, didn't mean that he still couldn't get to us. That he had people working for him out here and __**would**__ get to us. To you, the girls and me."_

"_And you believed him."_

"_Of course I believed him. He's J.R! Bianca he __**shot**__ you at that party. __**You**__ were in the hospital for weeks! You were in a coma for __**three**__ days. You coded twice! I could have lost you! Do you get that? So __**forgive**__ me if I thought that telling you what he said to me wasn't exactly a great idea!"_

"…_He threatened the girls?" Her pulse was beginning to calm down from the high point it had reached due to her anger._

"_Yes…and you. You…you've been through so much already, I didn't wanna worry you by adding this to it."_

"_You should have told me! They're my girls. I deserve to know if my girls' lives are threatened…"_

_Bianca had a point. She didn't have a right to keep it from her. J.R had threatened all of them except for AJ. The brunette knew that Marissa was protective of all of them. She had proven that time and time again and said it regularly, constantly reminding her of what they have. But for Bianca, she just didn't know if it was enough… If it would __**ever**__ be enough. She needed a break. Did she want a break? …No. But it what she felt she ought to do._

"…_I think you and I need to-" She began._

"_Don't say it!"_

"_Marissa-"_

"_No! Forget it!"_

_Bianca just stared Marissa and noticed the redhead's face, particularly her eyes. They were blood-shot, damp and there was a dark tinge that had made a home under them. Bianca was certain that Marissa's face reflected her own. Bianca hadn't slept that night and she had walked the halls of the upper floor multiple times, heading towards the stairs, but hesitating and returning to her bed every time she had made it halfway to the family room._

"_You're pushing me away for trying to protect you." Marissa said._

"_No, I'm n-"_

"_Yes, you are…and I don't mean to turn this around. I get that you're upset with me and why, but you're pushing me away." Bianca wanted to deny it, but Marissa had a point. "…This isn't just about what I did. This is your whole insecurity thing acting up again, isn't it?"_

_She denied it._

"_No, Mariss-"_

"_Yes, it is. That's why you're pushing me away. Why? Why is it only me Bianca?"_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_When Maggie ignored you because of Jonathan, you forgave her right away. You didn't ask her for space. And when you thought Reese was having an affair with Zach before your wedding, you didn't ask her for space. When I found out you were helping J.R 'win' me back, you asked for space. So, why me? I mean have I not proven myself to you that I am here forever? That I belong to you and only you? Because if not then that means I'm doing something wrong! I am __**not**__ them. …You're looking for excuses. You're trying to find out where this is supposed to go wrong because it always has! It's all you've known. Like you don't think me being here is for good because the people in your life always leave. Frankie died. Lena left. Maggie cheated. Reese worked. And me? You're waiting for me to leave… Well, you're gonna be waiting a hell of a long time because there is not a chance in hell that I'm __**ever**__ gonna leave you. I'm __**not**__ them. The difference between them and me is that I've got you. __**They**__ let you go, not me. I will __**never**__ let you go."_

_Then it was silent._

_Bianca's eyes fell to the floor. Marissa was right. Of course she was right. She was trying to push her away, but why? Was it so she could avoid getting her heart broken again? Was it because her history with love was as stable as a ball on a hill? Why did she always lose the ones who claimed to love her? She couldn't take it anymore. She frowned and the tears that were building in her eyes fell as they threatened to. Then she heard the pattering of quick feet heading towards her. Marissa had run right to Bianca and took her face in her hands, bringing their foreheads together. The contact was too much. She tried to move away, but as much as Bianca resisted, Marissa managed to keep her steady. Leaning forward slightly, Marissa grazed Bianca's lips with her own. Their foreheads were still connected and Bianca looked at Marissa, who had kept her eyes closed and began to speak again, softly._

"_I love you. Okay? And I don't care how much you push; I'm a wall when it comes to you. It doesn't matter how much you push me away; I won't budge. I won't move a single inch. You are it for me. People search a lifetime trying to find who they're supposed to spend their lives with; who their soul mates are. I'm done searching. This is where I belong… You are where I belong."_

_**You are where I belong.**__ Bianca kept hearing Marissa's convincing voice over and over, but she couldn't bring herself to speak._

"_Bianca? Please… Say something. You're scaring me. Tell me you understand. I can't lose you. I __**won't**__ lose you. Not like this, not ever!"_

_There was more silence. She couldn't speak. Why couldn't she speak? Was it because her inner battles seemed moot now? The constant bicker that befell her head and heart every night as one tried to convince the other that this would all end soon and to not get comfortable in this bed, between these sheets with Marissa? She felt Marissa begin to walk backwards as she realized that she had been silent for too long._

"_What…what do you want me to do?"_

_Bianca finally looked up at Marissa's damp face and tortured eyes as they stared back at her. She didn't know how to answer her question, but she somehow found the words to._

"_I want you never stop trying; to never stop fighting." She said as her voice cracked, letting her tears fall harder. "I don't deserve you and I know that. I have all of these insecurities and I cant help but feel that one of these days you'll come to your senses and leave-"_

"_Whoa, wait! 'Come to my senses'? …What sense is there in walking away from you? How can taking a step away from you be __**anything**__ for me, but a step in the __**wrong**__ direction? I wouldn't go where you don't want me to go."_

"_But-"_

"_No! No buts! None of that! You want me to never stop trying and never stop fighting? It's done. I always will! I am right now aren't I? And you know what?" Marissa asked as she grabbed Bianca's hand. "I will never stop holding your hand and telling you it's okay when you and I both know I don't know if it will be. I will never stop holding you or choosing you and I most __**certainly**__ will __**never**__ stop loving you!"_

_Bianca took a deep breath before she crashed her lips into Marissa's in a wild and feverish lip lock. The power behind it had caused Marissa to stumble backwards as Bianca walked them into the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen. Once her hands collided with the surface, Bianca wrapped herself further around Marissa and lifted her up onto the counter as she shook her jacket off to cool herself, not that it would help. She was about to place her hands on Marissa's upper thighs when a siren in her head went off reminding her of their children's presence on the upper level of the house._

"_I'm sorry," Bianca said as she pulled away gently. "I'm sorry I got so crazy over this."_

"_Shh," Marissa said bringing her finger to rest on Bianca's lips, softly. "No, you were right. I should have told you. I'm sorry."_

"_You were just protecting us."_

"_No excuse. But I swear Bianca if you __**ever**__ try to push me away again-"_

"_I won't! I promise. I am __**so**__ sorry-"_

"_Will you stop interrupting me?" Marissa asked with a chuckle. She continued when Bianca grinned. "Thank you. As I was saying, if you __**ever**__ try to push me away again, you better be ready for the fight of your life because I don't give up."_

_Bianca sighed before she pressed her lips softly to Marissa's again and let it linger._

"_I'm __**so sorry**__."_

…_Sorry…_

"_I am __**so**__ sorry-" Bianca said gently._

"_You almost died! What would've happened then? What was I supposed to do then? You can't do that anymore! Okay? __**You**__ need to stay alive! Okay? Because I don't wanna know what my life is like without you." Her voice was cracking now as the desperation that motored her words took over. "I __**can't**__ know life without you. I won't do it! I __**can't**__ do it!"_

"_Shh, shh." Bianca said. She brought Marissa to her and cradled her head in her hands. Marissa buried her face in Bianca's shoulder as the brunette caressed her head. "I'm here… I'm here…" She pulled back. "Look at me." She forced Marissa back. "Look at me," Bianca said softly. She pecked Marissa's lips ardently. "I'm here." She leaned in once more, crashing her lips to the redhead's once more. She took her face in her hands. "I'm __**right**__ here. I'm not going anywhere." Bianca kissed Marissa more forcefully, causing the redhead to fall onto her back._

"_W-wait, Bianca… Your ribs-"_

"_I don't care…" She said. Bianca kissed Marissa once more with such lasciviousness that it caused the redhead's toes to curl. Bianca pulled back a bit, her lips still resting lightly on Marissa's. "I don't care… I only care about being with you…"_

"_I love you so much…"_

"_I love you too." Bianca said breathlessly._

"_Thank God." Marissa said with a smirk. "But I don't want your lungs to collapse again."_

_Bianca frowned jokingly._

"_So I can't kiss you?"_

_Marissa chuckled. _

"_Oh, you __**better**__ kiss me. And hold me and the __**moment**__ you're given the 'okay,' you better jump me."_

_Bianca couldn't help but laugh out loud. Her girlfriend's spirit was contagious and she knew it would be her weakness. Marissa was her weakness and any time spent apart from her would prove to be a challenge and one Bianca was certain she would lose._

…_A challenge…_

_Bianca knew this would be a challenge and one she was against. She didn't want to spend her night away from Marissa…even if it __**was**__ the night before their wedding. She was being held hostage at her mother's penthouse while Kendall kept her company, but she wanted to leave. In her mind's eye, she was spending the night away from her fiancé and her house, why couldn't she be allowed to visit? So, she took it upon herself to do what she wanted without anyone's permission. She snuck out of her mother's and headed straight home. When she got there, she knew that Krystal would be around. Being as stealth as she could, she parked her car a couple of blocks away and walked up to her house. It was uncommonly warm for December so she wasn't cold at all. Once she reached home, she walked around to the back. She heard movement on the deck above her head and recognized her wife-to-be's svelte form._

"_Marissa!" She whispered._

_She could see the shifting movement from her fiancé. Marissa wasn't seeing her._

"_Babe?" She whispered again._

"_Bianca?" Marissa whispered._

"_Down here."_

_She watched as Marissa stood from her spot and looked over the banister of the wooden deck. Bianca smiled up at her and watched as the redhead greeted her with an equally wide smile._

"_Hey you," Bianca said. "Come down here."_

_Marissa laughed._

"_Krystal is staying down there and she's most likely down there right now. So, if I go down there, chances are we're gonna get caught… You come up here." Marissa said with a smile._

_Bianca didn't hesitate. She removed her shoes, knowing the amount of noise they would make when she made her way up the stairs. As soon as they were removed, she charged the steps and managed to get to the top in less than two seconds. The moment she had climbed the last step, Bianca ran to Marissa, devouring her mouth in a searing kiss. _

"_Mmm," Marissa groaned as Bianca pulled away. "What took you so long?" She asked._

"_Huh?"_

"_You should've been here a long time ago."_

_Bianca chuckled._

"_Really?"_

"_Yes! I'm going out of my mind without you here." Marissa said as she pecked Bianca's lips._

"_Well," Bianca said latching onto another kiss. "That makes two of us."_

"_So stay."_

"_I wish. I'm surprised they haven't sent a search party yet… And I should go before they do."_

"_No…" Marissa said with a pout. "Stay."_

_Bianca leaned forward aiming for Marissa's lips again._

"_I guess I could stay a little longer." She said connecting her mouth to her fiance's._

"_Good!"_

_As Marissa moved in for another kiss, she heard the back door opening and Bianca sprinted for a hiding spot around the corner with the wall and Marissa to conceal her. Krystal popped her head out the door and raised an eyebrow._

"_What are you doing out here?" She asked Marissa. Bianca's heart beat wildly in her chest as she listened to their conversation._

"_I'm just…getting some air."_

"_You should get to bed. Big day tomorrow sweetheart."_

"_Okay. Gimme a sec."_

"_Okay… Hi Bianca!"_

_Bianca squinted and laughed as she poked her head out from around the corner and waved._

"_Hi."_

_Krystal chuckled and looked at them as if they were two lovesick teenagers caught._

"_Two minutes you two."_

_At that, Krystal shut the door and the laughter from Bianca and Marissa ensued. Bianca took a hold of Marissa's waist and backed her into the wall again._

"_Okay. I better get going Baby."_

"_I know." Marissa said. She wrapped her arms tightly around Bianca's neck before she pulled back and kissed her fiercely. The brunette released the redhead and put her shoes back on as she descended the steps, but not before looking back at Marissa. _

"_Bianca," Marissa said as Bianca reached the bottom of the stairs._

"_Yeah?" She asked. She had turned around to look up at Marissa._

"_Save me a dance."_

…_A dance…_

_The soft piano of a familiar tune rang out amongst the banquet hall. Bianca recognized the song immediately. The velvety sound of the piano soon turned to words as she tightened her hold around Marissa's waist. This was their wedding song and it brought Bianca to a state of vulnerability and she was unable to do anything but listen to the words being sung by Christina Perri's unique voice. She was torn from her own thoughts when she felt Marissa's hold on her._

"_I'd say we're a big hit." Marissa whispered into Bianca's ear. The brunette pulled away slightly to look at her now wife. Something she had to keep reminding herself. She caught a glimpse of their family and friends surrounding them as they watched the two of them dance with looks of awe and happiness. _

"_I'd say you're right." Bianca said. "I'd also say that this song is definitely us."_

_Marissa laughed._

"_I chose well, didn't I?" The brunette saw the playful gleam in the redhead's eyes and it was written all over her smirking face._

"_I dunno if I'd classify myself under 'Well'."_

"_Okay… How 'bout 'Pretty Damn Amazing'?"_

"_Oooh, you're getting warmer."_

"_Hmmm…uh, Sexy and Smouldering?"_

_Bianca laughed as she tried to contain it. She tilted forwards and grazed Marissa's nose with her own._

"_Oh yeah." She whispered before closing the gap between them. "So uh, what do you say we let our kids dance with us?"_

"_I say 'Hell yeah'!"_

_The two of them turned to where Miranda, AJ and Gabby stood. They waved them over, asking them to join them. As the family of five danced in the centre of the dance floor, Bianca looked to the large window to her right. She captured Marissa's attention and directed it to the window._

"_It's snowing."_

…_Snow…_

"_Montgomery-Tasker…"_

"_What?" Marissa muttered against Bianca's lips._

_Bianca pulled away a little further._

"_You called me 'Montgomery.' It's 'Montgomery-Tasker' and it always will be."_

_Marissa smiled a tremendous smile and craned her neck upwards, capturing her wife's lips in a fervent kiss, placing her hands on either side of Bianca's face. "I love you," she whispered._

"_I love you too." Bianca replied. "And now, I really wanna do something with you."_

_Marissa raised her eyebrows. Bianca could feel her fingers traveled lightly along hers torso to the hem of her sweater. She hooked her fingers onto the fabric, pushing it upwards as she spoke._

"_Oh yeah? Like what?" Bianca moved away from Marissa as she lifted herself off the floor. "Hey!" Marissa whined. "Where'd you go?"_

_Bianca extended her arm and offered Marissa her hand._

"_C'mon." Bianca said as she pulled Marissa up from her position on the floor of the cabin._

"_What-"_

"_We have __**plenty**__ of time for that. Right now, the sun is getting ready to set and hardly __**anyone**__ is out there and I really wanna go tubing or tobogganing with you."_

"_But-"_

_Marissa was silenced with a kiss that caught her off guard and made her head spin._

"_We have plenty of time," Bianca said as she placed a peck on Marissa's lips between each word. _

"_I don't-"_

"_If we don't go out now, we never will because I __**really**__ don't plan on leaving this place for anything the moment I get you into that bed."_

_That had been enough for Marissa to begin scrambling for her and Bianca's coats. It hadn't taken them very long to take off on a hill in a tube. Bianca sat on the bottom as she snuggled Marissa into her lap. Wrapping her arm, securely, around Marissa's waist, Bianca pushed them off of the hill by using the tree behind her. The childlike screams that escaped both of their mouths caused them laugh even more than the adrenaline rush they were getting had caused them. _

"_AHH!" Marissa screamed as they flew off a large mound of snow that launched them into the air. When they landed, the pair of them flew off of the tube, but the entire time, Bianca hadn't go of Marissa._

"_OW!" Bianca stated as she landed on her back with Marissa on top of her._

"_You okay?"_

_Bianca looked up at her wife and smiled. Of course she was okay._

"_Yeah. I'm fantastic."_

_She felt Marissa wiggle around on top of her as if she were trying to get something._

"_What are you doing?" Bianca asked._

"_Smile!" Marissa shouted as she extended her arm out in front of them and snapped a photo of the two of them._

"_You take a picture of me looking like this?"_

"_I think you look adorable." Marissa said as she leaned down to kiss her. Bianca could hear the whirring of the digital camera that her wife held._

"_Will you stop snapping photos? Can we at least take one where I look decent?"_

"_Babe, you __**always**__ look __**more**__ than decent…but okay."_

_Marissa moved off of Bianca and the brunette sat upwards. She shifted forwards and sat in front of her new wife._

"_Why do you get to be in front?" Marissa asked._

"'_Cause you're always in front." The redhead began to laugh. It took Bianca a minute to register the joke Marissa had come up with in her head. "And you say I'm messed up?"_

_Marissa shook her head and conceded. She sat behind Bianca in the snow that surrounded them. She stretched her arm outwards and wrapped her other arm around Bianca's waist and began to tickle her. Bianca felt Marissa's cold nose against her neck as she laughed uncontrollably. __Marissa was laughing equally as hard and Bianca heard the familiar whirring of the camera as it took another photograph of them._

…_Photographs…_

"_I feel used. Kissing me like that to get info. Not nice." She said jokingly._

"_Fine, I'll figure it out myself," Marissa said as she reached for a photo and yanking it from its position on the table. Noticing this, Bianca reached for it as well, stopping Marissa from picking it up, challenging her. Marissa tried to jerk her wrist, but the tugging action only caused her hand to surge upwards. Bianca's hand collided with her eye and the impact caused worry to rise within the brunette._

"_Oh my God, Marissa. Are you okay?"_

_Squinting and trying to blink, Marissa moved her head side to side._

"_Mneh…it's just my eye…" She winced. "Ahh, that hurts!"_

_Bianca rose from her seat and stood before Marissa. She bent down and took her face in her hands, examining the injured area._

"_Where did I get you?"_

"_Right here," Marissa said, pointing to the spot on her left cheek, where the curvature of her cheekbones met the soft tissue of her nose._

"_Okay." Bianca leaned forward and kissed the spot where Marissa had pointed. She lingered for a moment and pulled away slowly. "Better?"_

_Marissa nodded._

"_You promise?" Bianca asked._

"_Yup."_

"_You sure? Did I get you anywhere else?" Bianca asked._

"_Well…you did get me here a little bit." Marissa had pointed to a spot on the corner of her mouth. She smirked._

"_Really? There too? I thought it was an eye thing," she smiled._

"_Yeah, but I always thought I had these huge hands and you never know. I mean, my oversized palm could have caused your to collide in more than one area. And I'm…yeah, I'm __**very**__ sure it was right here." Bianca raised an eyebrow when she saw that Marissa had pointed near her mouth again. "You better hurry Montgomery. It could spread or get worse."_

_Bianca chuckled and decided it would be best to humour Marissa. She slanted her body and headed for Marissa's mouth, but at the last second, she saw Marissa shift and their lips met with an impact so powerful that Bianca had felt herself falling backwards. Her head gently hit the kitchen floor. Marissa cupped Bianca's face as she moved her lips in a fine frenzy across Bianca's before she pulled away slightly._

"_Hi," Marissa said with a smile. Her nose caressed Bianca's as she spoke._

"_Hey you." The brunette replied. She felt so lucky it was almost inconceivable. She breathed in Marissa's scent that had invaded her in the best way. The emotions in her rose much like the same way they had on the day she finally decided to be happy with the one she loved. "How did I get so lucky? How did you fall in love with me?"_

"_I should ask you the same question…"_

"_Music box?"_

"_Before that."_

"_Weekend at the lake?"_

"_Before that."_

"_Ricky Torres?"_

…_Ricky Torres…_

_They had been bounded and locked in a dark closet in a room at the Yacht Club and neither of them knew for how long. Bianca was terrified wondering if this was like the last time. Michael Cambia haunted her for too many nights and now? Now it was all coming back to her in a way she thought she would never have to deal with ever again. It pained her having to be here, in this place and it killed her even more when she saw that Marissa was there with her. The fear was gripping. It held on like a heavy chain that couldn't come undone. What if Ricky Torres was exactly like Michael Cambias and would go so far to ensure his own power? She told Marissa everything about Michael and how Miranda came about. They talked about control, such a small word with a huge meaning. A power to influence someone or a situation…something Bianca wasn't willing to give up because of she lost it, then she could never dominate her fear or the situation she found herself in. But a sudden chill took over her._

"_Are you freezing, it's freezing in here."_

"_Um, look, lemme loosen some of these ropes." Marissa whispered. "Can you, can you turn around to me?" Bianca shifted a bit, but her eyes remained on the floor. "Look at me… Look at me!" The brunette still gazed at the floor. "Bianca?" The sound of Marissa saying her name had her losing all resolve and she was swayed to look into those haunting hazel eyes. "It's going to be okay." Marissa said._

"_I'm sorry I got you into this." Bianca said through threatening tears._

"_No…No, don't be." She replied softly. "…I'm not… I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not my idea of fun to be bound and locked in a closet."_

"_Party pooper..."_

"_Yeah, that. That right there. That's why I'm not sorry. …The way you're dealing with this?"_

"_I'm not sure I would say 'dealing'."_

"_I would! …You went from hyperventilating to cracking jokes? …You're incredible…"_

"_I'm faking."_

_Marissa chuckled._

"_That's something else we have in common."_

_All through the night  
>Near and far<br>We will be together  
>So hush<br>Don't you cry  
>You will be in my arms<br>Forevermore_

_Marissa had explained how the song 'Forevermore' calmed her in any situation. Her father used to sing it to her when she got scared. Bianca didn't know everything about the redhead, but she did know that that was her way of doing two things. The first, Marissa was admitting to her fear of being in that closet. And two, she was trying to calm them both down. _

_Bianca knew absolutely one thing was for sure. The two of them together were stronger than they were apart and their moments in that closet – fighting through the fear, calming each other down, breaking free from the knotted roped and kicking down that door to escape – was proof of that. _

_The survived._

…_Survival…_

"_Or…maybe even when we were locked in that closet…and we had to depend on each other in order to survive…I knew something was going on even then I…just couldn't accept… I'm talking too much, aren't I?"_

"_Yeah…"_

_Bianca knew what would come next and the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't let her breathe. They were powerful and she wanted it, so badly, to happen. When she saw Marissa advancing, she decided right then to keep a level head, but she wanted it to be perfect…if it was possible._

_She was always cautious, but when Marissa's lips met her own for the very first time, the soft and tender touch of them was enough for her, but she felt Marissa wanting more than a simple graze. She tried to be tame. Marissa's lips moved across hers and when Bianca felt the redhead moving to push them deeper into ecstasy, a few words kept penetrating Bianca's mind._

_**Did a couple carve their initials in this tree?**_

…

"_All this time…the entire two years we've been dating, I've never been away from you longer than eight hours," Bianca stated. "We're jumping from eight hours to three days."_

"_You're not gonna forget me, are you?" Marissa asked in a joker's tone._

_Bianca stiffened. She knew it was a jest, but it didn't settle right with her. She guessed that she had been silent for too long because Marissa's hand had come to rest on her cheek, forcing her eyes to gaze into Marissa's._

"_Babe, it was a joke."_

"_I know. I know… You know I'd never forget you, righ-"_

_Marissa nodded._

"_Of course not. No, I know that." She grinned and leaned up to capture Bianca's lips and kissed her, fiercely but quickly._

"_Good…"_

"_God, this is gonna be so hard," Marissa said._

_Bianca grabbed the hand that was on her cheek and guided the two of them over to the bench and sat down. She pulled Marissa into her lap and wrapped her arms, loosely, around her waist._

"_I know, but just remember, I'm gonna be there wishing I was here with you and the kids the entire time." Bianca nuzzled Marissa's neck who only moved closer at Bianca's touch._

"_I know. You're expanding. You're giving people a chance. I just wish you could do it from here, that's all."_

_Sighing into Marissa's neck, Bianca remained there, murmuring into the creamy skin, causing goose bumps to rise._

"_I know. But the time we're apart, just remember, I love you and don't forget it. The entire time that we're apart, don't forget that for a second."_

Darkness surrounded her. Her eyes were closed, but she was cold. The sound of a desperate voice called for her.

"Bianca! Bianca, please! Please be okay! C'mon, wake up."

She knew that voice. She hadn't heard it in so long. She had been away, locked up for so long. She had to open her eyes.

And she did,

"Yes, yes, yes! Oh thank God!" Marissa gasped. "Bianca, look at me."

Bianca surveyed her surroundings. She was in the cellar in her house. She was on the floor. This was home. It had been too long.

Where was Marissa?

Her eyes wandered, looking for her. They followed the sound of her voice and when she gazed upon the redhead's face she sighed in relief and contentment. She knew that face, that voice, that hair, those eyes. She knew this feeling within her and what it meant. She was a little disoriented, but she knew.

She knew it all.

And when her brown eyes connected with her wife's hazel ones the way they did, after so long, Bianca could only breathe out a single word.

"Marissa…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**Bianca's POV**

_You know my world, this is my right  
>You can take my love, but not my life<br>I dream of you inside my mind  
>Love revelations we will find<br>Memories of me and you go on and on  
>Memories of love are melting in my arms<br>Memories of me and you go on and on  
>Memories will stay forever with your love<br>Memories of love_

…**The forgotten memories may be quite suddenly recovered **_**almost in total**_**…**

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

So? Thoughts? Theories?

Does Binx have her memories back? Hmmm…

Please review

Lotsa love!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	33. Protection

**Warning: INTENSE chapter. Not for the feint-hearted. Enjoy!**

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Miranda's POV**

Protection… What does it mean to protect someone? To be protected? I think the one thing everyone's mind goes to is to keep someone safe from harm. But what is classified as harm? Is it physical? Mental? Emotional?

Protection… Who needs it? Who comes to your defense when you need it most? What would you do if this immense need to protect someone came over you? Could you think of a single person who you would consider worthy of it? What would you be willing to do?

Save them from a fire?

Shield them from a fired bullet?

Trade their life for yours?

_With these hands I will defend you  
>With these arms I will hold you<br>With this heart I will love you  
>When the fear comes, I will shield you<br>When the pain comes, I will heal you  
>When the sadness comes, I will protect you…<em>

_-Author Unknown_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Your moms have been missing for a while now. They told me they were heading out for an hour, but that was almost 8 hours ago." Kendall said as she tried to explain to her two nieces what had been going on for the last few hours. Were it any other case, the Pine Valley Police Department would've waited the standard 48 hours before filing a missing persons, but this was different. Tamara Hendersen was still on the run and had been hiding herself very well. Brot didn't want to take any chances and thought this should be looked after immediately.

"And they didn't tell you _where_ they were going?" Miranda asked.

"No. Did you speak to your mom before you left?"

"Well, yeah." Miranda said. "But we only spoke about me picking up Gabby and how excited she was to see her."

"And that's it?" Kendall questioned.

"Well, that and J.R."

"Oh, speak of the devil and he doth appear." The curly haired brunette said as she looked past her nieces and to her doorway. Following her gaze, Miranda and Gabby noticed the very man they spoke of gracing his presence in the household. AJ stood next to him as confused as Miranda and Gabby were when they entered the chaotic home. Spotting them standing with Kendall, he practically ran to them. J.R hadn't known what to do, but he followed AJ.

"Mimo, Gabby, Aunt Kendall, what's going on?"

"Your moms are missing." Kendall stated. She looked to J.R whose face became concerned as he looked at AJ.

"Uh, since when?" J.R asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but almost 8 hours now." She said coldly. If there was one person Kendall despised the most on the planet, it was J.R Chandler. He had nearly ended her sister's life and ripped away her nieces' mother in the span of a moment. He was manipulative and sore loser. He was a child who would throw a tantrum whenever he didn't get his way and because of it, people got hurt. No, she definitely, _despised_ him.

To say J.R was taken aback by Kendall's cold attitude was a lie. He had expected it from her and _everyone_ whose path he crossed. It came with the territory of being the most hated man in all of Pine Valley. He had replaced his father in that sense and he was trying his best to make mends at whatever the cost. He had been keeping his promises to his son and knew, one person at a time, he would hopefully find some closure on his guilty conscience, but he had no expectations.

"Fair enough." Was all J.R said.

"Wow. Really? No threats from the big bad wolf?"

"Aunt Kendall, c'mon. Not now." Miranda said before AJ could step in.

"Look, I _know_ I've made _a lot_ mistakes and made bad judgments that I can't take back, okay? I was in a _really_ dark place back then and could see nothing but red and green. I was angry and jealous that I wasn't enough, but I've changed. I'm trying to be better because I want to be and even though it's mostly for AJ, it's for myself too. If I could take back everything, I would in less than a heartbeat. So no, Kendall, no threats from 'the big bad wolf'. Anything you want or need me to do, name it and I will."

"I want you to leave because if I have to keep looking at your face, I may end up strangling you myself. You nearly took _everything_ away from my sister. And not just her, Miranda and Gabby would have had to grow up without their mother, Marissa would _never_ have forgiven you and AJ had taken to Bianca when you shot her so how do you think your relationship would have turned out if you had succeeded in your task? Oh, but wait, you were aiming for Marissa, weren't you? So, you would have taken AJ's mother away from him. And _don't_ say that they took your son away from because you know as well I do that AJ wanted to stay away from you! But _no_, you're J.R Chandler and you're all knowing and all powerful, aren't you? What you say goes and you _always_ have to be right. Just couldn't let things be and let anyone be happy, could you? Just _had_ to be pissed off at _something_ didn't you?"

"Aunt Kendall, c'mon. Seriously. Can we hold the fighting for a minute?" AJ interrupted. J.R remained silent

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Brot said as he came to the five people.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

She knew it all.

And when her brown eyes connected with her wife's hazel ones the way they did, after so long, Bianca could only breathe out a single word.

"Marissa…"

It was like she had realized after so long what she had been missing out on. She could see so many things and hear so many voices in her mind. Everything she thought of, one thing led to another. It was all so fast. So much like the way people say dying feels like; her life was flashing before her eyes.

"Bianca. Are you okay?" The redhead asked as tears poured down her face. "I thought I'd lost you for a minute there."

She felt a little disoriented and the room was spinning a little bit. She blinked, hard, multiple times to try to focus, but it wasn't working too well.

"Bianca? Are you okay?"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She nodded.

"Yeah. Just a little dizzy…" She muttered. "And no, you didn't lose me… Y-you'll _never_ l-lose me." The brunette lifted her hand to the back of her head and felt the tender spot where she had been bludgeoned. "Ahh," she winced.

"You're hurt. Lemme help you."

"No, I-I'm fine."

"_Oh, oh God. I'm so sorry. Sit down, I hurt you."_

"_No, I-I'm fine."_

"_No. I hurt you. Let me."_

Bianca shut her eyes tightly again. She could see it as if she were living it. She knew what was happening when she saw it. The scars on her wrists, the way Marissa was trying to get her to sit so she could take care of her, and the reason she was in that hotel room. She needed closure. Ricky Torres had brought back some bad memories; her memories of Michael Cambias and her feelings of fear, hopelessness and helplessness. She hated him for it, that the smallest thing could trigger such an intense emotion.

She felt herself being moved. Bianca opened her eyes to find that Marissa was moving them against the wall and sat behind her. She lifted Bianca's head and perched it onto her lap. The brunette craned her neck to look backwards and up at Marissa's worried face as she grabbed her hand that had begun to caress her arm while the other was running a soothing path on her face. She missed this. She missed being held by Marissa this way…any way. The past few months had her feeling amazing, but nothing like this. This was familiar, comforting, loving and Bianca wanted so much to tell her wife that she knew… That she knew _exactly_ who she was, _exactly_ what she meant to her and _exactly_ just how far she would go to protect what they had, and have and will continue to have for the rest of their lives. Even now, when there were no guarantees if they'd make it out alive, Bianca wanted to tell her. She didn't want to risk it, not again, not ever.

"M-Marissa?" She said softly.

"Yeah? What is it?" She replied immediately.

"H-how long have we been in here?"

"I…I wish I knew… She knocked me out too."

"_Bianca!" Marissa screamed as she watched the love of her life crumble to the ground after Tammy had tossed her aside. "NO!"_

"_No? No? That's where she belongs!" Tammy shouted to Marissa. "On the floor with the rest of the dirt! And you? You belong with me!" Tammy said as she pointed to Bianca's lifeless form on the cement floor. The blonde had walked over to the brunette and stood over her, but was stopped by a voice as she bent down._

"_DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" Marissa yelled through her tears. Tammy turned her head slowly to look at the redhead who was slowly making her way to her feet._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_I said," Marissa breathed out. "Don't you __**dare**__ touch her."_

_Tammy grinned evilly and as she kept her stare on Marissa, she bent down and touched Bianca's abdomen before pressing down hard. It was enough to cause Marissa to become red with rage and enough to get her adrenaline pumping as fast as it ever had before. She took off in a sprint and knocked Tammy to the floor. She raised her fist and brought it down on the blonde's mouth, watching as her knuckles and Tammy's teeth collided with the delicate skin and veins of her lip causing blood to immediately appear. Unsatisfied, Tammy threw Marissa off of her and ran to her. As Marissa got up, she was knocked back down to the ground seeing nothing but darkness._

"When I woke up, you and I were in here. I saw you and needed to make sure you were okay."

_This is like last time. _Bianca thought. _No! No! This is __**not**__ like the last time. I remember! I remember and I'm not alone! We're going to get out of this. We're going to make it! I swear it! _Bianca grabbed Marissa's right hand and through her confused vision, she saw the marks left by Tammy's face.

"You really did get her, didn't you?" Bianca smirked.

"Yeah, I did. It made me so crazy to watch what she did to you. I felt so scared."

Bianca opened Marissa's hand and kissed her palm, knowing it was what she used to do to calm her down.

"You're the bravest person I know… No one protects me like you do."

"I don't really have a choice." Marissa whispered.

"I uh…have to tell you something."

Overhead, Marissa heard the sound of loud footsteps. Tammy was still here. Of course she was. She heard the loud footsteps move to the stairwell and came pounding down the stairs.

Marissa panicked.

"H-hold that thought." She whispered. "Bianca, you have to trust me on this one. Please. Pretend to still be unconscious."

"But-"

"Please! I can handle her, but I want you safe. Please."

The door handle was turning. Bianca nodded and shut her eyes, obeying Marissa.

Tammy stumbled into the cellar and leaned against the doorframe. She watched as Marissa buried her head into Bianca's neck and stroked her hair.

"Aww, isn't that sweet?" Tammy mocked. "Look who's _finally_ awake."

Marissa lifted her head to show her tear-stained face.

"Shut up." She said.

"Now, now is that _any_ way to speak to your best friend?"

"You are _not_ my best friend."

Tammy rushed forward and fell to her knees as she grabbed Marissa's face, forcing the redhead to look at her.

"You're right about that. I am _so_ much more than that, aren't I?"

Bianca was trying very hard to keep her eyes shut like Marissa had asked her to. The bilious sensation that was rising in her stomach as she listened to Tammy had almost broken her. She could feel the blonde hovering over her as if she were already dead.

"You're out of your mind," Marissa said with a deadly calmness.

"For you." Tammy replied.

Marissa stared into Tammy's cold baby blue eyes as if she were searching for something. She could feel the blonde leaning closer and closer to her, going way beyond the boundaries of invading her personal space. Tammy stared directly into Marissa's eyes, but that changed when the redhead spat into Tammy's.

"AHH! WHAT THE HELL!" Tammy yelled as she rolled back. She tried to gather herself and stood up.

"Like I said, you're _out_ of your mind! What part of 'I love her'," Marissa said indicating Bianca. "Don't you understand?"

Tammy looked from Marissa to Bianca and then back to Marissa.

"Fine. That's how you want to play this. Fine. _She_ has _one hour_ to wake up, or else…"

Tammy didn't finish her statement. She left without another word.

Once the door closed and she heard the 'click' of it locking, Marissa let out a breath of relief and looked down to Bianca who was staring at her wide-eyed and worried.

"Are you okay?" Bianca whispered as she attempted to sit herself upwards.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine. But don't get up. Your head-"

"No…no, I'm more concerned about you. _Why_ did you do that?"

"Like I said… I don't have a choice."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"No. No, you're not Brot. What's up?" Miranda said as she crossed her arms. She looked back and forth between Kendall and J.R praying for any distraction available. The tension radiating from Kendall mixed with her detestation for J.R was tangible and making things extremely awkward and it hadn't gone unnoticed by the Chief of Police.

"I uh…assume," Brot said looking between Kendall and J.R himself. "That Kendall here has brought you up to speed?"

"Yup." Gabby said.

"Yeah, I told her. I only spoke to my mom once today and that was to let her know that I was going to pick up Gabby."

"And that's all?" He asked.

Miranda nodded.

"Sorry I can't be of more help."

"Same," Gabby said.

Brot sighed as he turned to AJ and J.R.

"How about you two?"

"No," AJ said.

"I uh…I might know something." J.R said.

"What do you mean you 'might know something'?" Kendall demanded.

"It's actually part of the reason why I'm here with AJ tonight."

"Which is?" Brot asked.

"Bianca and Marissa invited me."

"They what?" Kendall stated.

"It's true." AJ interjected.

J.R turned to Brot.

"I ran into them outside of _Krystal's_. I was on my way to meet AJ when I saw them. They seemed really happy and seemed to be in a rush to head somewhere. Bianca had accidentally run into me. I apologized and we got to talking about how I've been spending so much time with AJ and how everything was going so well for them. AJ had told me about the fire that had happened about a month ago so I decided to ask them about the house. How the reconstruction was going and whatnot. Marissa told me that they were on their way there at that moment to check it out. So I told them to have fun. But before I could walk away, Bianca caught my arm and asked if I would be willing to go to dinner with her and Marissa and AJ tonight, just the four of us to talk. I think it was because Marissa still doesn't approve of me spending so much time with AJ. But Bianca, being Bianca didn't want to ruin AJ and his mother's relationship so she figured time with me there as well would show him some form of progress. And I agreed, which is why we showed up when we did. We had plans for a 7:45 meeting here."

"But we checked the house. They weren't there. No one was." Brot reasoned.

"Look, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but are you _sure_ that you searched _everywhere _in that house?"

"You sound like you're certain they're there J.R," Kendall voiced.

"I'm not certain, I'm just saying. Assuming it's this Tammy person you all claim it might be. She's gone three years without being suspected of anything other than breaking a nail. That means she's gotta be somewhat intelligent with the way she covered her tracks. Okay, a moron can't exactly get away with something like this."

"What's your point Mr. Chandler?" Brot asked.

"My point is _if_ she's behind Marissa and Bianca's absence, then chances are they are _still_ in that house. She has two people to look after and _no_ help. There are neighbours around, right Chief? That means someone would have noticed the three of them leave. Now, an unconscious person is easier to deal with than not. There are two of them. They could take her if she didn't knock them out, no problem. Even with a weapon, it would be too difficult to threaten them if they were awake. And it's too difficult to drag two bodies out of a house without going unnoticed. She knows there's a warrant out for her arrest and she can't access any of her accounts can she?"

Brot shook his head.

"No, she definitely can't. We'd find her instantly."

"Exactly." J.R continued. "So she can't exactly hire anyone to help her now, could she? They're still in that house. She's been on the run, she knew you'd probably check the house – no alarms, lots of hiding places. It's still under construction so she could add her own modifications easily with plenty of tools around without her having to bring her own. If she _really_ wanted to hide them, it would only be too easy."

"You sound like you _know_ what you're talking about J.R." Kendall said.

J.R's patience was wearing thin, but he kept a level head as he turned to the brunette.

"Psychologists have to think like criminals on a daily basis, Kendall. Does that make them criminal masterminds?"

"Oh, so you're a psychologist now, are you?"

"That's enough!" Brot said forcefully.

"Sorry Brot, but I'm not convinced. What if they left the house and Tammy picked them up somewhere along the way?"

Brot took a deep breath and turned to Kendall.

"We have to start somewhere Mrs. Slater. If they aren't at the house, then we'll know to move on. It's a start." He said. He turned to J.R and crossed his arms. "I assume you have a plan Mr. Chandler?"

J.R lifted his head into the air as if he were thinking.

"Actually… I think I might…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"And like I said, no one protects me like you do."

Marissa chuckled lightly.

"You'd do the same for me."

Bianca nodded.

"You're right. I would. And I will."

"Whoa, whoa," Marissa said. "What do you mean you 'will'? No, no, no, you're going to still be asleep when she comes back."

"Are you kidding me? Will you stop trying to be a hero? …Heroine? _She_ will _torture_ you."

"Better me than you!" Marissa argued.

"No! No! _Not_ 'better me than you', no! This is not about you."

"Are you serious? Of _course_ this is about me! She wants me, not you!"

"She wants me dead! Out of the picture."

"Exactly, which is why this is a done argument. You are going to get out of here if it's the_ last_ thing I do. I lost you once and everyone was convinced you were dead. I _refuse_ to make that nightmare become a reality because Bianca she will kill you! And I can't handle that!"

Bianca sat up and turned around to face Marissa. She grabbed her face in her hands and shook her lightly.

"And _what_ makes you think that I can handle being away from you! Have we not suffered enough?" The tears that had been forming behind Bianca's big, brown eyes were threatening to fall. All it would take is a single stimulus. "It's both or neither of us! _We're a packaged deal_, remember? I love you! Don't you _dare_ make me walk away from you! I almost did that twice and I'll be damned if I let that happen again! No! Not if I can help it! Me being safe is _not_ an option because I don't want to be somewhere where you aren't! I won't do it! I can't do it!"

And that was enough.

Bianca's tears flowed freely down her face. The passion that leaked from her lips in the form of words was like a river of poetic lyrics. Marissa was so overwhelmed with Bianca's strong reaction to her suggestion that she hadn't the slightest idea how she was able to do what she did next.

"Bianca," she whispered. Her eyes shimmered even through the dim lighting and the gloss that had begun to shield them with every word her wife had spoken only enhanced it. She took a hold of Bianca's hands and pried them from her face, taking them in between her own. "This is the way it has to be." She watched as Bianca shook her head. "Yes… Yes… I can't go on without knowing that you'll be alright."

"But I won't be. Not without you."

"Yes, you will. You… You have _all_ your life to live." Bianca kept shaking her head. "Yes," Marissa nodded. "And you're going to see our kids grow up. They need you."

"They need you too." Bianca argued. "Why can't you see that?"

"I do! I _do_ see that, but this is _my _mess-"

"No-"

"Yes, it is. Tammy is in our lives because of me."

"No-"

"And I have to be the one to take care of this. I can't let you die."

"No one said I would!" She reasoned.

"She wants me to herself. I can get you out of here-"

"No! No! That's not happening-"

"Bianca-"

"I said no! God damn it, Marissa. No! That's it! No! Because of things were the other way around and I were saying what you were, then God only knows what you would say to me; how you would be feeling. Forget it."

A silence had fallen between them; a serene one, a chaotic one, a deliciously tense one.

"We can't do this Marissa."

"We have to."

"There's two of us and one of her… We can take her."

"What if she's got a gun, Bianca?"

"I've taken a bullet before."

Marissa instantly became pale as she felt as if a thousand bricks were dropped on her stomach.

"…That's not funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny."

The two of them looked up as they heard the footsteps roaming around on the floor above them, heading for the stairs again.

"Has it been an hour already?" Marissa asked.

"I dunno."

Marissa looked at Bianca.

"Please, _please_ close your eyes."

"No! Marissa, she will_ torture_ you!"

"No, she won't. She's twisted and has convinced herself that she loves me. She won't do it. But if you're awake, she will. Please."

"It won't matter to her."

"Please!"

The door opened and Bianca fell onto her side and closed her eyes. Marissa directed her attention to Tammy who walked in and shook her head.

"Still unconscious I see. Well, then I guess I'll just have to wake her up myself."

Tammy headed for Bianca, but Marissa bet the blonde to punch and covered Bianca's body with her own, refusing to let the psychotic woman near her.

"Touch her and I'll kill you." Marissa said.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. It's me you want, not her, so let her go."

Tammy chuckled.

"Ahh, you see I can't do that Marissa. No, because, you see, as long as she's alive, she will try to find you. And as long as she's alive, you will_ never_ see me the same way you do when you look at her. And she's not awake, like I said she better be, so now? Now, I have to do things my way."

The blonde forced Marissa to her feet and pulled her by her hair out of the cellar. Marissa looked out the windows of her basement and saw that it was dark. _How long were we here for?_ Tammy let go of her hair and pushed her to the ground.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Little Montgomery to finish off."

"No!" Marissa began to charge at Tammy, who turned instantly and pointed a gun at the redhead.

"Uh, uh, uhh," Tammy sung. "Don't do it, Marissa."

"Leave her alone. She's never done anything to you."

"That's where you're wrong." Tammy chuckled. "She's in my way of getting what I want and I take crap from nobody."

The blonde was walking towards Marissa and Bianca had managed to catch a glimpse through the open door.

"And I just _don't_ understand _why_ you didn't fall for me after she disappeared. I mean…I showed up for you… I've _always_ shown up for you. And I'm the one who _will_ always show up. I mean, c'mon! Look at her!" Tammy pointed behind her. "She couldn't even wake up for you! And me? I was the one you came to when she wasn't around. Do, do you remember how amazing that was?" Tammy asked as she walked slowly towards Marissa. "I-I promised you that I would _always_ be here for you and I am still good for that promise."

The blonde reached out for Marissa and grazed her arm with a finger.

"Don't touch me. Leave me alone." She said as she backed away from Tammy.

"You let me in before and you still have it in you to do that again. You…you were so amazing to me when I was going through my divorce. You let me call you _whenever_ I needed you." She said as she got scarily close to Marissa's face, but she just pushed her away, repulsed.

"You can't think that I'd-"

"Run away with me… Yes, I do."

"Just let Bianca go."

"I told you, I can't do that. Anything but you or her leaving is open for discussion." Tammy said as she kept walking, advancing on Marissa.

"You better leave Tammy. Think, you've a warrant out for your arrest!"

"Oh, that… No one knows we're here. I mean the police already came here looking for you, Bianca and I and found nothing and no one, so that's that…"

Marissa looked past Tammy. …_There's a lock on the cellar door…_

"Oh God… You set this whole thing up."

"Mmhmm."

"_You_ were the one who called us, not the secretary."

"Bingo!" Tammy said with a grin. "See, I _knew_ my baby was smart. Well, you'd have to be as a lawyer, right?"

"I am _not_ your 'baby'!" Marissa said as she brought her hand to her face.

"What's the matter, honey?" Tammy softly cooed, bringing her hand to Marissa's face. The redhead swatted it away. "Now, that wasn't very nice."

"Good! I'm not nice."

"Oooh, feisty! Good, I _love_ feisty."

"Tammy!"

"I love it when you say my name too." She said as she pressed Marissa into a wall and placed her nose against her cheek. "You have _no _idea how happy I am that you and I are going to be together."

Bianca had been witnessing everything. The nauseated feeling returned to her. She couldn't take it anymore.

Marissa pushed Tammy away violently.

"I don't know if you're _crazy_ or if you _actually_ believe what you're saying, but there's _no_ way you and I will _ever_ be together!"

"You keep saying that and it's beginning to annoy me Marissa!"

"And you're annoying me!"

Tammy pushed Marissa up against the wall.

"You think this is a joke Marissa? Hmm? 'Cause it's not. This is my _life!_ A life that I'm supposed to spend with _you_."

"No! I don't want to be with you! I don't love you!"

"Yes!"

"If you take me _anywhere_ Tammy, you better be ready for the fight of your life!"

"One stupid mistake… _That's_ what it all comes down to, doesn't it? Because I told Bianca about her dirty rape child. That's it!"

"No!"

"I did it to help you, you have to know that!"

"No, I don't because that's a twisted logic and one that I don't follow. Listen closely now because I'm only going to say this _once_! I _love_ Bianca and _only_ Bianca!"

Tammy took a firm hold of Marissa's upper arms, forcing her gaze.

"No! You _can't _love her!"

"Let me go!"

Tammy was about to respond when she felt a heavy punch in her side. She crumbled forwards and turned around to see Bianca hovering over her.

"Well, well, look who decided to wake up!"

Bianca grabbed the blonde by the neck and brought her knee to meet Tammy's stomach, knocking her to the ground. Marissa breathed a sigh of relief and watched as Bianca extended her arm, offering her wife her hand. Marissa took a firm hold of it and Bianca pulled her into her chest kissing her intensely before pulling away and cradling the redhead's face in her hands.

"Are you crazy?" Marissa asked.

"You're not the only one who doesn't have a choice."

"No one protects me like you do." She quirked.

Suddenly, the two of them were knocked to their knees. Tammy had somehow managed to gather herself and used every ounce of forcible strength to get them to a weak point. Tammy aimed at Marissa, swinging her leg to collide with the redhead's ribs.

"NO!" Bianca yelled. She got to her feet and ran at Tammy, tackling her to the ground. "YOU DON'T TOUCH HER!" Bianca shouted as she wrestled the blonde, She had managed to pin her down, but Tammy only chuckled.

"You _still_ don't get it, do you? _You're_ no good for her. You can love a rapist's child, there's no _good_ in you or that bastard daughter of yours!"

Bianca let go of one of Tammy's hand and punched her in the nose quickly. Tammy growled in anger and pain before she pushed Bianca backwards and off of her. The blonde scrambled to her feet as she watched Bianca crawl backwards towards Marissa who had caught a hold of her wife. Tammy revealed her weapon and pointed it at the two of them, alternating between them. Bianca and Marissa held onto each other, neither covering more than the other, each wanting to protect one another.

"Well, isn't _that_ sweet. You two are practically molded together. Neither letting one protect the other more. It's sad, really… One last chance Marissa before I blow your wife's brains out…"

Bianca felt Marissa's hold on her tighten. The brunette brought Marissa's cheek to her chest plate, holding onto her wife's head, guarding every inch of her she could.

"Just come away with me, and this all ends…"

"Well done, Ms. Hendersen." Said a voice behind Tammy.

Tammy turned her attention to it as Bianca and Marissa looked past the blonde.

"J.R Chandler." Tammy muttered as J.R flashed a smirk.

"I couldn't have done it better myself…"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

DUM DUM DUUUUUM! Too intense?

Thoughts? Theories? Is J.R being sincere or is this an out for him to finally get his revenge? Hmmmm…

Leave a review! Thanks!

Lotsa love!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	34. Shock II

o.o.O.O.o.o

_**Part 2**_

**Tammy's POV**

One word. 5 letters…

It could be general or medical…

And it ranges from minor to major…

There's…an element of surprise involved…

It's a result of the unexpected…

Figured it out yet?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_It was like being in a nightmare and all you wanted to do was wake up. You could hear the echoes of the pleas of the one you love, fighting for your life. And then it hits you that __**this**__, this terrible, filthy, demonic place is not a nightmare. No, this place is very much your reality. At that point, all I could do was breathe. The adrenaline was pumping through me so quickly that I thought I could pass out. The amount of physical strength that befell me had me holding onto her as if I would never get the chance to again. How had this happened? One minute, I'm living my life, as I never had before. I was happy…so deliriously, perfectly happy. All it took was a phone call…a single phone call that changed it. It blinded me, but it was always there, chipping away at my joyfulness; piece-by-piece, day by day, one fraction of a moment at a time until it came to this. And the one, who interrupted all of it, wasn't the one I expected. At that time, to see him there, I always assumed the worst. Why? Because he was involved…_

"Well, isn't _that_ sweet. You two are practically molded together. Neither letting one protect the other more. It's sad, really… One last chance Marissa before I blow your wife's brains out…"

Bianca felt Marissa's hold on her tighten. The brunette brought Marissa's cheek to her chest plate, holding onto her wife's head, guarding every inch of her she could.

"Just come away with me, and this all ends…"

"Well done, Ms. Hendersen." Said a voice behind Tammy.

Tammy turned her attention to it as Bianca and Marissa looked past the blonde.

"J.R Chandler." Tammy muttered as J.R flashed a smirk.

"I couldn't have done it better myself…"

Marissa looked past Tammy to J.R who kept his gaze fixated on the blonde before him. He was standing exactly as she remembered him – tall, confident, and condescending. This was the J.R she recognized even though his confidence could easily be mistaken for cockiness. She was having a difficult time trying to figure out if he was all part of this set-up, however she couldn't bring herself to believe that he and Tammy had planned this whole thing out because Tammy looked surprised to see him. She just couldn't comprehend his part in all of this. Was it a rescue; a ruse to get Tammy knocked off course and shift her focus from them to him? Or had he been a part of the twisted blonde's plot? Either way, to say she was shocked was an understatement.

"What are you doing here Mr. Chandler?"

"'Mr. Chandler'? C'mon now Ms. Hendersen, that's a little high on respect to be calling me that. I know everyone in this town is an arm's breath away from baptizing me as Satan's child. Simply calling me 'J.R' is compliment enough."

His voice was so smooth, exactly how Bianca remembered it. It was as if someone had flipped a switch on her brain. How was this happening?

"_Aww isn't that sweet? …Do you really have to do this 'lady-love' stuff in front of our son?"_

"'Compliment'? The only compliment I can give you Mr. Chandler is being the crappiest shot in all of Pine Valley. Seriously, you couldn't have finished this rape-child loving whore off properly when you decided to shoot up your mansion all those years ago?"

J.R chuckled lightly and took a deep breath before he continued. He still wore that hauntingly wicked smirk that Bianca and Marissa remembered. His eyes were crazed in the ice blue colour they were adapted to, but something was different. They just couldn't put their fingers on what exactly it was.

"Bianca here was a moving target and I was drunk out of my mind. I could, uh, barely…walk let alone shoot someone properly… So if anything, I'd say I'm a pretty damn _good_ shot Ms. Hendersen. And by the way, you can refer to Bianca as 'Bianca' or 'Ms. Montgomery'… Oh, excuse me, _or_ Mrs. Montgomery-Tasker... You really shouldn't speak ill of the dead." J.R finished with a smirk.

"'The dead'? You want her dead too?" Tammy almost sounded too hopeful. To Marissa's ears it was as if the blonde thought she _finally_ had someone to help her out when all this time, with the warrant out for her arrest and her bank accounts being on constant watch for her location, Tammy could use all the help she could get and if J.R was her only option, Marissa was sure she would take it.

"Of course I want her dead! Do you not read, Ms. Hendersen? Bianca Montgomery took _everything_ from me. She took my life! – My son, my wife! Hell, she even got my ex-wife in between the sheets just to screw with me! What kind of a person does that? And now? She's ripping the _one_ thing you want the most away from you when she had her chance and got herself kidnapped. Am I right? _How_ is that fair?"

"It isn't." Tammy said immediately.

"Exactly. So, tell me… Why shouldn't we finish her off for good this time?"

"'We'?"

Throughout his rant, J.R's grin had fallen from his face. His gaze averted from the blonde female to the two women who were still hanging onto each other, desperately. He had walked past Tammy, only turning to her every so often to maintain some form of eye contact before returning his eyes to look upon the scared faces of the two women he had threatened so long ago. Now, as he looked for that familiar feeling of hatred, it was nowhere to be found. He didn't feel anything for Bianca or Marissa. Nothing. No anger, no fury, no feelings of deranged madness that seemed to take over him whenever he saw them together before his arrest. Not even the persona of a lunatic that seemed to overtake him when he thought of them and his song in his first 5 years in prison. No. There was nothing…nothing but guilt and the powerful desire to make everything okay between the three of them.

_And that's why you're about to do all of this…_

"Yes…'we'. The way I see it, I have an opportunity now, Tamara…it _is_ 'Tamara', right?"

Tammy nodded.

"I prefer Tammy."

"I'm sorry. _Tammy_. Let me ask you something. Have you ever felt like…you were meant to do something and it just _had_ to be done? And no matter where you were or how long it would take when the time came you just _had_ to do it? …Of course you have, I mean, you were the mastermind behind Bianca's abduction were you not? Months…_years_ of careful plotting and planning, making sure _every_ _little detail_ was sorted out and tied up to the last little whatever to make sure things went your way. And now, opportunity knocks for you once again."

"Yes. As you said, I do." Tammy said, who still had her gun pointed and Bianca and Marissa.

"Well, that's kind of what it's like for me right now, you see? I spent the last, pfft…10 years in a cell just itching and _waiting_ for the day when I would _finally_ be able to get out of that place! I pretended to be a good little boy to get early parole and for what? To make sure I got out early enough to see these two bitches suffer the way I have!" J.R exclaimed as he pointed to the two women on the floor. So now, if you'll please hand me the gun in your hand so I can finish what I started?" J.R finished. He extended his arm out towards Tammy and motioned his hand as if to signal her to surrender her weapon to him.

From the cold cement of the floor, Bianca kept her hold on Marissa, tightening her grip with every passing moment. She didn't want to let go and yet, she couldn't find herself to be scared for either of them, not if Tammy would hand J.R the gun. She felt Marissa's head move under chin, nuzzling her neck as if to grab her attention somehow. Looking from the silence that was passing between Tammy and J.R, Bianca gazed to Marissa who seemed to be trying to read her. She didn't know if she should speak with them being in such a dangerous situation, but Marissa didn't seem to care.

"You scared?" She whispered.

Bianca shook her head.

"It's funny, but no. I'm not… I've got you here with me."

Marissa did her best not to smirk. It didn't seem like the smartest thing to do given their current situation, and yet, she did offer her wife a small one.

"Even when we're a moment away from death, you still manage to be a sweetheart."

"That's the thing… I don't think we're going to die."

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon Marissa. You know J.R better than anyone. There's something different about him…isn't there?"

Marissa looked to J.R and Tammy speaking to each other. She could hear every word that passed between them.

"It's that time Miss Hendersen. They have a debt and I think it's time they give me back what's rightfully mine."

"Your son?"

"Exactly and as long as _they_ are alive, I'll _never_ be able to get a moment's peace and I will _never_ be able to focus 110 percent on my son. So, if you please hand over that gun, I can finish them off."

As Marissa kept an ear on J.R and Tammy's bickering, she shifted the majority of her focus on Bianca who was still looking at her, watching her as she tried to analyze J.R in the best way she could. Her lawyer instincts were kicking; her ability to tell the guilty from the innocent, a liar from the decent and honest. J.R was conflicting her. The cold, hard stare that she was familiar with was absent and his patronizing and superior posture was waning when it fell upon the two of them. But it wasn't possible…was it?

_No…it can't be._

"Yeah…there is." Marissa whispered as she answered Bianca's question after a while. "But is it a good different?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" Bianca questioned as she looked fixedly at her wife with a concerned, yet thoughtful and loving stare.

"You're asking me to see the good in J.R, but is there any good in him?"

Marissa's words rang bells of recollection in Bianca's head as she could hear the parallel in Scott's words years ago.

"_Awh! I cannot believe you did that."_

"_I thought I was helping her-"_

"_By pushing J.R and Marissa together? I told you he's only going to hurt her again because that's what he __**does. **__Yet, you still encouraged him?"_

"_Wh- she was happy with him."_

"_How could you let him use you like that?-"_

"_Well maybe I was using him too!"_

"_What? …What could J.R __**possibly**__ do for you?"_

"…_You know, sometimes I, I used to look at this painting and see Stewart's face… I could feel his heart… Your dad loved purely and unconditionally… It's the kind of love that all the rest of us are just trying to…"_

"_Hey…hey, hey…"_

"_I just…wanted her to be happy."_

"…_I know you did. She's your friend, you care about her the same way I do… And I'm sure you were just trying to bring out the good in J.R… But Bianca here's the thing; there is no good in J.R! It's all gone! He destroys everything he touches! And he will __**never**__ change…"_

"I think there is." Bianca finished.

"Oh no," Tammy said. "You're not finishing them off. Marissa stays alive, not Bianca."

"It has to be both of them Tammy." J.R reasoned. "You and I both want Bianca Montgomery dead, so that's not a problem. But Marissa has to die too. Can't you see? As long as Marissa's alive, do you _really_ believe she will stay with you? I had to learn the hard way that Marissa isn't a pushover. She won't come quietly and do what you tell her to Tammy. She will fight tooth and nail to get away from you. And do you _really_ think she'd _ever_ forgive either of us, especially you, for killing Bianca? She won't! She will kill you herself. Trust me, I'm doing us both a favour." J.R had a hand on his waist and his hand still out in front of him before Tammy. He needed to get possession of that gun.

His entire plan depended on it.

"No! Marissa stays alive! That's not negotiable. She stays alive and stays with me. You can do whatever you want to…" Tammy hesitated to say her name, but when she did, it came out with venom on her lips. "Bianca, but Marissa stays alive… I can't live without her in my life."

Any fear Bianca thought she had tossed aside was back with a vengeance. She didn't know how much more she could clench Marissa's form, which had begun to quiver. She couldn't tell if it was from fear or because the door to the basement had remained open and a chilly breeze had fallen over the Pine Valley evening.

"Mr. Chandler, it's not negotiable. Bianca will be dead, you'll have your son and I'll have Marissa. I plan to take her _far_ away from the hellhole that is Pine Valley that people call home. Besides, I can't show my face here. They want me behind bars so we'll be long gone! You won't even notice she's alive and you'll have your son all to yourself. It'll be like she's dead to you anyways."

J.R placed both of his hands on his hips and hung his head letting out a long breath. It was as if he had been holding it all this time. He shifted his gaze from Tammy to Marissa and Bianca, regarding them through squinted eyes, contemplating his options, or so he could have someone believe. Looking away from Marissa and Bianca, he returned his attention to Tammy, but not before rubbing his face with his hand.

"Okay, fine. Marissa lives."

Bianca breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know what the next few moments would bring, but she hoped Marissa would make it out alive. She couldn't go on if it meant that Marissa wouldn't live her life.

"What are you sighing about?" Marissa asked.

Bianca remained silent.

"Nothing good can come of this. If you die, I may as well be dead." The redhead stated when she realized why Bianca exhaled when she did.

Bianca looked down at Marissa and for the first time in a long while, she recognized how perfectly she fit in her arms. The way her head seemed to fit like a missing puzzle piece against her shoulder as it rested in the crook of her neck; the way Bianca's arms wrapped faultlessly around Marissa's body so she could pull her close enough for comfort; how Marissa always seemed to know how to smell to make Bianca's senses overflow with an indulgence that she never wanted to end – and it was always different.

"I love you."

"Bianca, don't you dare-"

"No, I mean…I _really_ love you."

"I love you too." Marissa said sincerely, unable to figure out what exactly was going on inside Bianca's head.

"Which is why no one is dying today, got it? Not you or me."

"You _really_ don't have that option," Tammy directed at Bianca when she overheard what the brunette said. "I told you Marissa, this ends today and I am _not_ giving up on you."

A cold chill ran down Marissa's spine as Tammy spoke to her about never giving up. It sickened her to think that someone could be so aberrant with such a distorted view of reality.

Tammy looked back to J.R and was moments away from handing her weapon to him, but she was hesitant and it was easily seen on her face. She retracted the firearm and held it against her chest away from J.R's grasp.

"Just one question…" Tammy stalled.

"Okay," he said.

"Why should I trust you? Hmm? I mean, you're _finally_ out of prison, on parole, no less and yet, you're willing to jeopardize all of that?"

"Yes, I am. And I told you why. It's something I _have_ to do. I didn't finish it before and I _always finish_ what I start."

"Again, _why_ should I trust you? How can I know I can trust you?"

J.R grinned.

"You can't, but what other option do you have Ms. Hendersen? I mean," J.R said bringing his hand to his chin. "You already have charges against you for kidnapping _and_ arson… If you add 'murder' to that list, they will push for the death penalty _for sure_, right Marissa?" J.R asked as he turned to the redhead on the floor.

"Y-…yes," she muttered.

"I'm sorry I couldn't hear you," J.R said.

"Yes!" She shouted.

"Yes! You see, me? I'm already on the naughty list with the cops and if you try to frame me for killing Bianca when you're the one who did it then you're going to have a _very_ difficult time explaining why my fingerprints aren't on that gun… So…" J.R said, extending his hand once more. "What'll it be, Ms. Hendersen?"

Tammy looked down at her pistol and then at J.R. She moved her stare to Bianca and Marissa. It revolted her to see them so wrapped up in each other, literally. She was beginning to lose herself in trying to figure out which arm belonged to whom.

If she were completely honest with herself, J.R Chandler was right. She had far too much against her, not that she would get caught because no one knew they were there. However, it bothered her that J.R could convince her the way he did. She could do one of two things. The first, and easiest, choice would be to give J.R her automatic and let him take the heat for all of this, as she had originally strategized. It would definitely give her an out or a reduced sentence, seeing as how there was already a summons for her arrest. Or, her second option, would be to run past J.R and finish Bianca Montgomery off herself. However, at that point, she'd have to pry a grieving Marissa off of the brunette and force her to go with her, which would be only too difficult to do.

Tammy stretched her arm out and handed the firearm to J.R Chandler.

Once the gun was in his clutch, he tightened his grip around it so it wouldn't slip from his fingers accidentally. He flashed a villainous grin to Tammy before he turned on the ball of his foot to Marissa and Bianca. Leaving Tammy behind him, he raised the weapon and pointed it directly at the two of them.

"You two have _no_ idea just how long I've waited for this moment." He said quietly, but loud enough so Tammy could hear him. "10 years…10 years I've waited."

Bianca and Marissa, still aiming to protect one another, began to shift backwards at J.R's advance.

"And now? Now the moment has _finally_ come when I make things right…"

J.R smiled. He genuinely smiled at Bianca and Marissa. The pair of them scrunched their eyebrows as J.R lifted the hem of his shirt and pulled out another gun that rested in the waistline of his pants on the right. Using his left hand, he drew it and spun quickly. He turned on Tammy and she saw it coming. She drew out another gun of her own and pointed it at J.R, but before she could fire it, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed monster that Pine valley had come to know had fired two shots.

One from each gun he held.

With a loud, growling yelp, Tamara Hendersen fell to the ground in a heap. She raised her gun to J.R and he fired another two shots. The heavy metal fell from Tammy's hands as two bullets pierced either arm to match the ones she had in either leg.

The pain was too much for her to bear that she had passed out almost instantly the moment the two shots entered her arms.

Watching her fall, J.R walked toward her, carefully. When he came upon her, he noticed that she was out cold. He placed to fingers to her carotid artery and sighed. He looked down at the guns in his hands and put the safety on them. Once he made sure of it, he tossed them aside, out of reach.

He stood and turned to look at Bianca and Marissa.

"J.R! What's going on? We heard gunshots!" Brot yelled to him through the piece in his ear.

"Yeah Chief." J.R said. "Everything's fine. They're okay." He said still gazing at the two of them. "Your girl Tammy here though? She's gonna need a doctor before you carry her off to prison."

"Okay. We're coming in."

Brot said nothing else. J.R took a deep breath and stood still, simply gazing at the two women before him.

"It's okay. Brot and his team are outside and on their way in. You ladies can stand up. I'll stay right here until they come if it makes you feel more comfortable."

Bianca and Marissa stood up as quickly as they could. Once standing, Bianca and Marissa wrapped their arms around each other and, cautiously, walked towards J.R. He held up his hands and slowly brought them down to his shirt to lift it up.

"See? No weapons. Just that one gun that Brot gave me." He said and put his shirt down once more. "And I'm sorry I did all that," he said, gesturing behind him. "I had to get her to let her guard down…"

"You shot her." Marissa said, still clinging to Bianca.

"Yeah…I'm sorry about that too."

A silence fell between the three of them before J.R spoke once again.

"…Was she always that annoying?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**Bianca's POV**

One word. 5 letters…

It could be general or medical…

And it ranges from minor to major…

There's…an element of surprise involved…

It's a result of the unexpected…

Figured it out yet?

**Shock.** The word is shock.

It's a simple word with many meanings. The element of surprise it holds can be good or bad and the funny thing is, it's never what you would have expected it to feel like. And this person or event that surprises you can come to you at any time, any place, anywhere, so, don't let appearances fool you.

They say a tiger can't change its spots. We are who we are and that's that. There is no way to redeem ourselves for the bad we've done. One good deed isn't enough to earn forgiveness, but the one bad one _is_ enough to condemn…

You'd be surprised how wrong this logic is.

"_I'm sure you were just trying to bring out the good in J.R… But Bianca here's the thing; there is no good in J.R! It's all gone! He destroys everything he touches! And he will __**never**__ change…"_

Scott, I beg to differ.

o.o.O.O.o.o

Sooooooooo….what do you think?

Three UD's in a week? Yes, I counted that right.

Thanks SO much for the support until now! You're all phenomenal! Lotsa love and I hope you leave more reviews!

MUAH!


	35. Aftermath

o.o.O.O.o.o

**J.R's POV**

It's not always easy having to admit you're wrong. But I was. I _always_ was. I always thought I could blame my dad for that. But I'm my own person. What I do is _my_ choice and no one else's and no one makes me do anything. _That's_ what I failed to learn growing up. However, I'm not saying that I wasn't easily influenced. Adam Chandler was my father. He was influential, very persuasive and when he said something, you listened. He instilled this fear in you that you thought you'd die if you didn't do what he demanded of you. His temper was…abominable. And when he started something, he made a mess. He was the tornado that tore down people's houses and that gusty wind that carried them off to God knows where.

But the calm that came after the storm passed?

The aftermath?

Would you say that looking at the wreckage served as a reminder of how weak we truly are?

Or…is it that by looking at ruins we're reminded of what we had beforehand, appreciate it and then look at how we can better it; what we can do differently to come out stronger the next time that damn storm comes our way?

The aftermath…what's it really about?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"So, uh, I guess this looks pretty bad, eh Chief?" J.R asked as he sat on a nearby chair in Pine Valley Hospital with Brot. The two of them were going over the details of what had happened earlier that evening.

"Well, Ms. Hendersen is in custody, even though she needed surgery. One of those bullets is lodged in an artery in her right leg. She's definitely going to go to trial-"

"I, uh," J.R released a chuckle. "I was talking about me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm in violation of my parole, aren't I? I mean a fired a gun…well two and each one twice-"

"Aiding the police department, Mr. Chandler. I'm sure the state will see reason."

"I'm not so sure. I mean, it was my idea-"

"Which I supported…"

_"Look, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but are you __sure__ that you searched __everywhere __in that house?"_

_"You sound like you're certain they're there J.R," Kendall voiced._

_"I'm not certain, I'm just saying. Assuming it's this Tammy person you all claim it might be. She's gone three years without being suspected of anything other than breaking a nail. That means she's gotta be somewhat intelligent with the way she covered her tracks. Okay, a moron can't exactly get away with something like this."_

_"What's your point Mr. Chandler?" Brot asked._

_"My point is __if__ she's behind Marissa and Bianca's absence, then chances are they are __still__ in that house. She has two people to look after and __no__ help. There are neighbours around, right Chief? That means someone would have noticed the three of them leave. Now, an unconscious person is easier to deal with than not. There are two of them. They could take her if she didn't knock them out, no problem. Even with a weapon, it would be too difficult to threaten them if they were awake. And it's too difficult to drag two bodies out of a house without going unnoticed. She knows there's a warrant out for her arrest and she can't access any of her accounts can she?"_

_Brot shook his head._

_"No, she definitely can't. We'd find her instantly."_

_"Exactly." J.R continued. "So she can't exactly hire anyone to help her now, could she? They're still in that house. She's been on the run, she knew you'd probably check the house – no alarms, lots of hiding places. It's still under construction so she could add her own modifications easily with plenty of tools around without her having to bring her own. If she __really__ wanted to hide them, it would only be too easy."_

_"You sound like you __know__ what you're talking about J.R." Kendall said._

_J.R's patience was wearing thin, but he kept a level head as he turned to the brunette._

_"Psychologists have to think like criminals on a daily basis, Kendall. Does that make them criminal masterminds?"_

_"Oh, so you're a psychologist now, are you?"_

_"That's enough!" Brot said forcefully._

_"Sorry Brot, but I'm not convinced. What if they left the house and Tammy picked them up somewhere along the way?"_

_Brot took a deep breath and turned to Kendall._

_"We have to start somewhere Mrs. Slater. If they aren't at the house, then we'll know to move on. It's a start." He said. He turned to J.R and crossed his arms. "I assume you have a plan Mr. Chandler?"_

_J.R lifted his head into the air as if he were thinking._

_"Actually… I think I might…"_

"_Care to share with the rest of us Mr. Chandler?" Brot asked after what felt like several minutes of silence._

_J.R looked to the people he was surrounded by and simply began to speak without thinking about what the consequences of these actions would be._

"_You send me in there as bait."_

"_Bait?" Laughed Kendall. "Bait for what?"_

"_To get them out of there." J.R said as if it were an obvious factoid. _

"_Elaborate, Mr. Chandler."_

_J.R took a deep breath before he spoke again._

"_Remember how I said that she has no one to help her out. If she still had Bianca and Marissa at the house, chances are she's going to kill either one or both of them because she won't be able to control both of them. If she's going to get them out of there alive then she's going to need help. If I go in there and…try to convince her that I'm on her side, give her some…'hope' that she'll __**actually**__ get out of this mess she's created for herself, then we just might be able to save Marissa and Bianca."_

"'_We'?" Kendall asked. _

"_Well, I'm assuming you don't trust me to go in there alone."_

"_No, you're damn right I don't, but better you die than any of us."_

"_Aunt Kendall, enough!" AJ said. It was forceful enough to make a point, but he didn't come across as angry or overbearing. "What would the plan be, Dad?" He directed to J.R._

"_Surround the place, send me in. If I'm right, she'll be in there and I'll be able to persuade her that I'm on her side. I'm a felon and someone who will be easy for her to believe that wants Bianca and Marissa dead. And if that's not enough I could always tell her that me being the one to kill them is her best shot at escaping." J.R noticed that Kendall was about to say something, but he stopped her from speaking. "And I know, Kendall. You're wondering how you can trust me, but the truth is, no matter what I say, you won't."_

_J.R could see Brot looking through the intense air between him and Kendall. He had a contemplative look on his face, as if he were debating everything and what it would mean doing something that J.R recommended. The older blonde knew that the Chief of Police wasn't stupid or arrogant. But he also knew that Brot was someone who covered every angle and any help he could get, he would if it meant a straight lead. J.R knew he was right in his reasoning. He had had a lot of practice being the insane one. _

"_Okay, Mr. Chandler. You go in, protected-"_

"_P-Protected?" J.R asked. "What does that mean?"_

"_It means you'll be wired with an ear piece and a microphone. It's basically a small chip that gets placed on your tooth and something like an earplug that goes in your ear. We can hear you and everything around you and you can hear us."_

"_Okay."_

"_**And**__ you'll have a firearm with you."_

"'_A firearm'? I can't carry a gun!"_

"_Sure you can."_

"_But that violates-"_

"_No! What violates your parole is if you fire it."_

"_Don't you think I may have to Chief?"_

"_If it comes down to that. Try not to."_

"J.R?"

His head shot up at the sound of a woman's voice, only to find two of them standing, looking down at him. Kendall had called for him and with her stood Gabby. He stood and wiped his hands on his pants before giving each of them a small smirk and a nod. The silence was a little bit awkward for him and as he held the gazes of the two women before him, he felt so small. But then something happened that he never thought would.

One of them threw their arms around him in a grateful hug.

Gabby.

"Thank you, J.R," she whispered. Her embrace didn't last long, but she did what she felt was best in her position. The shocked look on Kendall's face told J.R that not even she was expectant of such a response. When she released the blonde, he didn't know what to do and he certainly didn't anticipate the same reaction from Kendall, which was why he simply nodded.

"Don't thank me. I didn't do anything."

"No," Kendall finally spoke. "She's right. Thank you, J.R. Were it not for you and your…psychological analysis…God only knows where Bianca and Marissa would be right now… Thank you."

J.R took a deep breath.

"Don't thank me. I don't deserve it. I have _a lot_ to do still before I can be thanked. It's time I make things right and trying to get Bianca and Marissa out of there was the right thing to do… Speaking of which, they're right through that door," J.R pointed to the door directly behind the two ladies as he finished.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Are you sure you're okay?" Bianca asked Marissa. The two ladies were sitting on the hospital bed as their legs hug off the side. The laughing redhead took a hold of the worried brunette's hand and squeezed it tightly. Bianca smiled and brought the hand that had a death grip on hers and brought it to her dry lips to press a soft kiss to it.

"Yes, you nervous woman! I'm more concerned about you. You're the one who got whacked over the head."

"Yeah, well that seems to be a popular recurrence when it comes to crazy blonde women…actually just the _one_ crazy blonde woman. But still, I don't see why I have to get my head scanned. I feel fine! No dizziness and I passed all those stupid eyeball movement and pupil dilation tests. I just wanna go home." Bianca said as she looked to Marissa who was watching her intently. "What?" Bianca asked.

Marissa's gaze turned into a lighthearted glow with a grin to match.

"You're different…"

The brunette scrunched her eyebrows and chuckled nervously.

"What…do you mean?"

Marissa shook her head.

"I don't know. I just…I feel that there's something different about you… Like…you're more comfortable and less afraid to speak."

Bianca smiled brightly.

"And you're smiling like that."

"Well, I've got _a lot_ to be comfortable with, talk about and smile about," Bianca said as she leaned forward, connecting her lips to Marissa's and let them linger for a few seconds before she pulled away. As she was about to, a thought entered her mind and instead of releasing her wife's mouth, she latched on even more and the hand that was free, she brought it up to the back of Marissa's neck and grazed her nails along Marissa's hairline, like she used to.

_Do it now._

"So, uh, was there anything different about that kiss?" She asked as she pulled away. Looking at her wife, Bianca could see that her eyes were still closed and her eyebrows were raised. "…Marissa?"

"Heh?" She asked, opening her eyes slowly. There was an amused smirk on Bianca's face when the world finally came into focus again. "Oh! Uh…" Marissa gulped lightly. "Actually…yeah…"

Bianca moved her face closer to Marissa's as her playful smirk became more and more spirited.

"Good," she whispered. "'Cause, uh, there's something you should know."

"Whoa!" Kendall exclaimed as she and Gabby entered the room. "Sorry! Is this a bad time?"

Bianca and Marissa sniggered and shook their heads as their gazes shifted from Kendall to Gabby who wore a wide smile as she gazed at her mothers.

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Good, because I wasn't going to leave even if you told me to," Gabby stated before she nearly ran across the hospital room to the two of them.

Noticing their daughter's excitement, they smiled and extended their arms, waiting for her embrace. She felt like a kid again, unable to help, but want to be close to her moms and hug them because of what they stood for; no fear, no pain, and happiness. They made the monsters under her bed go away…well, they checked for them, even when they explained to her that they didn't truly exist. If she fell and scraped her knees, they picked her up and sat her down, cleaning her wounds and calming her down. They kept her from crying and the stinging sensation would become numb. And the smiles. She could _never_ forget the smiles and the laughter they could bring to her. All it took was either of them hiding behind one of her stuffed animals and giving them a voice or even something as simple as tickling her. Those…_those_ would _always_ cover the fear and pain and make her forget about them.

"Hey you," Marissa whispered into Gabby's ear when she felt her daughter's arms tightened their grip around her neck.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Yes. I'm fine." Marissa began to tear up a bit. "Welcome Home, Monster."

Gabby chuckled lightly as she pulled away from Marissa's embrace. As she shifted her gaze to Bianca, she noticed that her other mother was already weeping.

"And you?" Gabby asked. "Are you okay, Mom?"

Bianca could barely speak through her tears, but she managed to nod.

"Yeah?" Gabby asked.

"Y-yeah," Bianca replied as she reached out for her. Gabby moved into her mother's arm only too quickly, but not quick enough in Bianca's opinion. She had been waiting so long for this moment, the one where she'd _finally_ be able to hold her baby girl the way she remembered. When Gabby's head hit Bianca's chest, the older brunette couldn't help but cry harder, but she smiled fully. Placing a kiss to her daughter's temple, Bianca held her ever closer and cradled her head in her hands. She rested her cheek against the parietal region of Gabby's head.

"Good," Gabby said, even though it came out muffled. "Because if you weren't…if you had 'died' again, I-"

"Gabby, you don't have to worry about that," Bianca said as she pulled away, holding her daughter's face in her hands. "I'm here now. And I'm _never_ leaving _any_ of you ever again; by choice _or_ by force. I'm home…"

Marissa looked at Kendall standing there with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. The redhead flashed a smile to match her sister-in-law's and as she looked back and forth between Kendall and the two women to her right, she began to speak to the former.

"So, how did you guys find us? Know where we were?"

"_That_ is the shocking bit, actually." Kendall said as she walked further into the room, uncrossing her arms.

"Really?" Bianca asked, releasing Gabby's face.

"Really." Gabby said. "J.R remembered your conversation from earlier and put two and two together. He argued _a lot_ with Aunt Kendall about the brain of a psychopath and how it works…in only so much detail."

"And as my bad luck would have it, he was right." Kendall said. "And I can't believe I'm going to say this, but he really was a hero. He and Brot devised a plan after J.R had come up with the idea that he should go in as a decoy to persuade Tammy that he was on her side… He's not allowed to fire a gun as part of his parole agreement with the state, but when he thought your lives were threatened, he didn't think twice about himself." Kendall admitted.

Bianca looked from her sister to her wife and sighed.

"Looks like we better thank him."

Marissa nodded.

"Yeah, but first! _You_ need to be taken for a head CT."

"Head CT?" Gabby asked as she looked at her mother worriedly. "Ma, why a head CT?" She directed at Marissa.

"Because people like to hit your mother upside the head and it's happened _so_ many times these last couple of years that they want to make sure that there's nothing wrong up here," Marissa said as she leaned over and patted Bianca's head.

"I already told you and them, I'm fine! Besides, I just wanna be with my family right now. Speaking of which, where are the rest of them?"

"Nah, nah, nah, don't change the subject Binx," Kendall said. She turned to Marissa. "Have you been looked at already?" She asked.

"Yup!"

"They _why_ haven't they checked her out and gotten on with these head CT's?"

"Because the lab is backed up." Bianca said. "It's the midnight shift and there's only one person operating the scanners.

"That means we could be here for a while." Gabby said. "And to answer your question form before Mom, Miranda and AJ are staying with Nathan and Sofia tonight. Miranda and AJ thought that you'd want to see me more than them anyways because I've missed out on so much since you've been home… Plus, with me and my kickass lawyer skills, and by lawyer skills I mean debating skills, I won the battle on who gets to come here and be with you guys until we can all go home."

Bianca and Marissa snickered at Gabby's response.

"Well, we may be here a while, Sweetie." Bianca stated.

"I know and I'm good… Not gonna lie, I'm kinda hungry though… Not to mention I'm going to be in need of a _serious_ caffeine fix soon."

"So go down to the cafeteria. Marissa hasn't eaten yet and she should."

"Babe, what about-"

"I'll be here," Kendall said. "Besides, you should spend time with your daughter. She _did_ just get home after all. Not to mention, she and I had _plenty_ of excitement this evening to hold us over for a while." She finished with a playful leer.

"Okay," Marissa said.

Gabby kissed Bianca's cheek before she moved away from the bed.

As Marissa hopped off of the bed, she turned to Bianca and cupped her face in her hands.

"We'll be right back," She whispered and pecked her wife's lips. "And there _better_ not be anything wrong with you."

Bianca chuckled.

"There won't be." She said as kissed Marissa quickly. "Now go. Don't keep our daughter waiting."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

When Gabby and Marissa entered the Pine Valley Hospital cafeteria, it was deserted. There were a total of two people sitting at the wooden tables, sipping from Styrofoam cups. The two of them walked up to the counter and glazed over the menu quickly before being approached by a worker.

"What can I get you?" A tired voice said to them.

"Uh…I'll take the turkey sandwich and a large coffee. The biggest cup you have please." Gabby said.

"And I'll just have a coffee," Marissa said. "Same size as hers. Thank you."

Gabby pulled out a 20-dollar bill and handed it over the counter.

"No, Gabby-"

"Ma, please. You've done enough for me. It's time I start paying you back, little by little."

"Pay me back? Gabby-"

"Stop it," she said with a tired grin. "Do you know how many women would have kept Miranda and I around were they in your position when Mom disappeared? 'Cause I can tell you… None! _None_ of them would have. And if me saying 'I love you' or 'Thank you' or 'I miss you' everyday doesn't get the point of how grateful I am for you or how much I really do love you…or even how much I consider you my mother as opposed to _any_ other woman other than my _actual_ biological mother, isn't enough then at _least_ let me buy you a damn cup of coffee and my own dinner."

Marissa laughed whole-heartedly, or at least as much as she could.

"Sentimental, but intelligent and you do it with flare… Just like your mother."

Gabby smiled proudly at Marissa's declaration.

"Yeah… Although, since she's lost her memories, she seemed…quieter and less…spunky, you know? I mean with us, she was always herself. Spoke without thinking and smiled like there was nothing wrong with the world."

"She was comfortable."

"Yeah, she was. Then there were those little quirks you spoke of, which I never understood."

The smile on Marissa's face fell into a look of disturbance as she came to realize something.

_Bianca opened Marissa's hand and kissed her palm._

_"I uh…have to tell you something."_

_"It's both or neither of us! __We're a packaged deal__, remember?"_

"_Don't you __dare__ make me walk away from you! I almost did that twice and I'll be damned if I let that happen again!"_

_"I've taken a bullet before."_

_"C'mon Marissa. You know J.R better than anyone. There's something different about him…isn't there?"_

"_I mean…I __really__ love you."_

"Oh my God…" Marissa whispered. "Oh my God!"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Wow Binx." Kendall said surprised.

"What?"

"You uh…you seemed pretty eager to get Marissa out of here. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Kendall." Bianca said. "I was just worried about her. She seemed so weak after everything. I just don't want her to faint."

"You sure?" Kendall regarded her little sister with a suspicious eye.

"Yes." She said, a small bit of fear rising within her when she noticed the way Kendall looked at her.

"Then _why_ can't I shake this feeling that you're not telling me something? I know you Binx. Something is tearing you apart and you wanna say something-"

"Yes, I do. But I-"

"What?" Kendal interrupted. "What is it?"

Bianca sighed. She wanted to tell Marissa first, but she couldn't keep it in anymore. The danger was gone and there was no need for her to keep it a secret from anyone, least of all, her family.

"Okay, fine. I'll tell. But you can't freak out okay?"

"When have I _ever_ freaked out?"

Bianca looked at her sister with a grin that defied her sister's question.

"Okay, fine! You're right. Okay, lay it on me."

"Well… After I got whacked in the head for the thousandth time, I had these…visions when I was passed out."

"Visions?" Kendall inquired.

"Yeah, and they were so vivid Kendall! I…I think I got my memories back."

"Wh-what?" She asked. "R…really?"

"Yeah, I…I could see everything in flashes and they kept coming to me even after I woke up. It was so bizarre! Like I remember how I, I turned to David after Michael Cambias, how Mom tried to get me to talk about what was bothering me when I hadn't told anyone about him yet, us playing tag the year Reese and I got divorced-"

"What-what about Marissa?"

"Marissa? …Oh God, I can't _not_ remember her now. The way she waited for me on our wedding night because I needed air and she saw that, the morning after our…first time, that _huge_ fight we had after J.R threatened me and the girls, making that collage that should've been on our family room wall, taking photos on our honeymoon-"

"Oh God, I don't wanna know!"

Bianca chuckled.

"Not _those_ kinds of photos Kendall."

The curly haired brunette grinned and grabbed her little sister's hands.

"This is amazing Binx. So uh, what other ones about Marissa? How you proposed to her?"

Bianca's facial expression of happiness dropped and she turned pale.

She was drawing a blank.

She couldn't remember.

Kendall noticed the change and tried something else.

"Okay let's try something smaller. Uh…your…first date? Do you remember that?"

Blank again.

"No! Oh God, Kendall!"

"No, no, Binx, don't worry. It's not a bad thing."

"No, but those are the _only_ things I can't remember!"

"Binx-"

The door burst open and startled Bianca and Kendall as Marissa plowed into the room at high speeds, nearly falling over. She looked to Bianca with hope. She took a deep breath and let the tears in her eyes flow.

"You remember?"

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

LOOOOTSA dialogue. Hope you enjoyed!

Lots of love!

Leave a review!

MUAH!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	36. Fear

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Kendall's POV**

To the people who tell me that they're not afraid of anything, I call them liars, each and every one of them. Everyone is afraid of something and the funny thing is that they can be just about anything. It can be something so simple like extending your arm out to introduce yourself to someone or they can be extreme, like staring down the barrel of a gun. They can be so personal and not everyone has the same fear… Fear always gets the best of us and can bring out the worst in us…but I find it ironic how sometimes it can bring out the best… Like telling someone you can't bare the thought of losing that you love them everyday because it's the one thing you know that they'll never doubt and therefore have no reason to leave.

There are some things that we have to live with and fear is one of those things. There are those things you're afraid of that you learn to live with, some make you feel secure, some that scar you, and even some that we can't name. There's the fear that sometimes we won't be understood…and then there's the fear that we know is the only certain thing in our lives keeping us as the person we are because if we admit to it then we have to accept what it is that we're afraid of…

What are you afraid of?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"_I mean…I really love you."_

"Oh my God…" Marissa whispered. "Oh my God!"

The realization hit her like a strike of lightening. As quickly as it entered her thoughts, it left, but that aftershock was enough to keep her feeling its effects. Instead of falling from such a jolt to her system, it caused her to move as fast as she possibly could. She didn't need her coffee anymore. She was wide-awake and full of energy and all she wanted to do was get back to her wife.

"Gabby, I-I'm so sorry, but I gotta-"

"Ma, ma, don't worry. Go! I'll wait here and get the stuff. Just go!"

Marissa smiled at Gabby before she planted a loving kiss on her temple. At that, she dashed out of the cafeteria and ran as fast as she could down the hallways of Pine Valley Hospital. When she got to the elevator, in her mind, it wasn't coming fast enough. She abandoned the idea and headed for the stairs on her right and burst through the door. She climbed up the steps, rapidly and two at a time, never slowing down. Anyone who passed by her on the steps, she couldn't recall for she had only one thought in her mind.

_Bianca remembers…_

It was enough to keep her going.

When she arrived on her wife's floor, she powered her way through the door and into the familiar hall. Trying desperately to catch her breath, Marissa slowed her run into a fast walk. She was trying to compose herself, but her slowed pace was no use to her. She took off into a run yet again.

She couldn't help it. She wanted to get there faster.

When she came upon the door, she didn't hesitate to open it.

"Binx-"

The door burst open and startled Bianca and Kendall as Marissa plowed into the room at high speeds, nearly falling over. She looked to Bianca with hope. She took a deep breath and let the tears in her eyes flow.

"You remember?"

Kendall looked between Marissa and her sister, not knowing how the situation would play out. She noticed the look of hope on Marissa's face as it contradicted the one of fear on Bianca's.

Bianca bit her bottom lip as her gaze shifted from a focused stare on Marissa to the floor beneath her swinging feet. _What do I do now?_ Bianca thought. As she cautiously lifted her head to look at her optimistic wife, she knew that there was only one thing she could do, but it wasn't something she wanted to do with Kendall watching them. Sure, she loved her sister and looked up to her without question, but she needed the privacy with her wife.

"Uh…Kendall?" She asked as she looked to her older sister.

"Yeah Binx?" Kendall replied tearing her gaze away from the space between her sister and Marissa.

"Would you mind giving us a moment?" Bianca asked.

"Oh! Of course! Sorry."

Kendall moved to Bianca and placed a kiss on her forehead before she passed by her sister-in-law and rested a soft and comforting hand on her arm. She winked and left the room quietly, letting Marissa and Bianca talk things out.

Once the door closed, Marissa raised her eyebrows as if to ask her question again. Truth be told, she hadn't taken her eyes off of her wife, not for any distraction that had presented itself that would have worked on anyone else. She had to know. Her heart ached and beat heavily behind her ribs as she waited for Bianca to answer her question. She felt the same way she had that day when she saw Bianca again for the first time back in February. She couldn't help that feeling of sheer and utter happiness mixed with faith that Bianca had _finally_ come back to her. She had done everything she could to help Bianca remember everything…_anything_!

The silence between them was tangible and Bianca couldn't help but feel the tension. She wanted to be rid of it, so the moment Kendall had closed the door behind her and Marissa's eyebrows had shot up so high with an expectant look on her face, Bianca could only say a single word.

"Yes."

Marissa's breath caught in her throat. Bianca could tell the redhead was in shock, but the kind of surprise had brought her wife to tears. Marissa's gaze had fallen to the floor and she found herself unable to move. Sensing her immobility, Bianca hopped off of the bed she had been forced to seat herself on and moved closer and closer to Marissa. Once she reached the redhead, Bianca raised her hands to cup Marissa's face, lifting it upwards to meet her loving stare. With the pads of her thumbs, Bianca wiped the falling tears from Marissa's face, trying her best to soothe her.

"Shh, shh, don't cry Riss," Bianca whispered.

"Wh…" More tears had fallen down her face as she sniffled, not wanting anymore to fall. She had finally shown Bianca her vulnerability. After nearly 5 months of mustering up as much strength as she possibly could to make sure her wife felt as comfortable and could be as susceptible as she could, Marissa's walls had finally broken. "When?" Marissa asked.

"Uh," Bianca smirked. "After Tammy knocked me out in the basement? I had these dreams, but they were so vivid and they felt so familiar and even after I woke up, they kept coming, but then they stopped. And I thought that was the end of them…"

"But?"

"But it isn't. Marissa there are things I can't remember."

"Like?"

Bianca hesitated, but Marissa encouraged her.

"Bianca? Like what?"

"Like…our first date…or when we got engaged-"

"It's okay." Marissa interrupted. Bianca looked at her wife's facial expression. Her words did not match the shattered look in her eyes.

"No, it's not."

"Yes! It is… You…you know your family and you remember the love you feel for them and how they feel about you, right?" Bianca nodded. "See? That's all that matters… But if you don't mind me asking…what _do_ you remember?"

"I…I remember-"

The door opened to find Griffin on the other side, poking his head into the room. He noticed the warm embrace the two women were in and immediately felt guilty.

"I'm-I'm sorry for interrupting, but Bianca we got a scanner and we've got to move now."

Bianca nodded and turned to Marissa before she was dragged away from her. She placed a soft kiss to her lips and breathed heavily through it and let her lips linger before she forced herself to pull away from Marissa's mouth.

"Even though I can't remember some stuff, I still love you… Never doubt that… Never forget that…"

Marissa nodded as she watched Bianca walk past her and settled into the wheelchair that Dr. Castillo had waiting for her in the hallway.

Following Bianca into the hall, Marissa watched as the brunette was rolled away toward the elevators. When Bianca and Griffin disappeared into the lifts, Marissa turned her attention to the chairs by Kendall and noticed that Gabby was now occupying one of them as well.

"Hey you," Gabby said as she noticed her mother's loving glare being directed at her. She lifted up a rather tall cup of coffee and, at the sight of it, Marissa chuckled.

"Thanks Sweetie." She muttered as she walked over to her daughter and plopped herself down into the seat next to her. "Kendall?" Marissa asked as she saw her sister-in-law begin to fall asleep.

"Yeah?" She asked as she bolted awake.

"Why don't you head home? Gabby and I are okay here. Besides, we'll be here for a while. You can go home to your husband and come back to get us in a few hours. One of us may as well get a good night's rest."

"No, Red, it's okay. I'm okay. I can sleep here. It's not a problem."

"Kendall," Marissa stated with a warning tone. "Bianca would kill the both of us if she came back and saw you still sitting here; you for not going home and me for allowing you to stay here. The results are going to take a while. Go home, sleep for a few hours and then come back. Please?"

Kendall regarded Marissa with a chuckle. She knew the redhead was right. With a quick release of an exasperated breath, Kendall nodded and conceded to Marissa's request.

"Fine. I'll go home to sleep. But the moment you guys are ready to come home, don't hesitate to call me, understand?"

Marissa nodded.

"And you Binx Lookalike," Kendall directed to Gabby, who shot her a knowing smile.

"I know. Don't let either of them talk the other _or_ myself into getting a cab to let you sleep more."

Kendall laughed whole-heartedly and nodded.

"Yes. That, _and_ take care of your moms, okay?"

"Got it." Gabby said as she winked at her aunt.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"_Like…our first date…or when we got engaged-"_

…

"_Even though I can't remember some stuff, I still love you… Never doubt that… Never forget that…"_

"Mom? Mom!"

"Heh?"

Marissa was jolted awake by Gabby shaking her and calling for her. Marissa's attention settled upon Dr. Franklin Hubbard, who had kneeled to be eye level with the two women.

"How are you doing Marissa?" The doctor asked her.

"I'm-I'm good. What is it? Is it Bianca?" She asked, immediately panicking, fearing that they may have found something wrong with her CT scans.

"No. No, Bianca's fine. She and Griffin are on their way back up. I uh…I'm the guy you just might end up hating after what I have to tell you."

Marissa looked over to Gabby whose eyebrows had scrunched up the same way her mother's had.

"Uh…um, okay. What is it?" Marissa asked hesitantly.

"I operated on Tamara Hendersen." Marissa's face had changed from concern to one of malice and hate. "I thought so," Frankie continued. "We got the bullets out and there was some extensive bleeding. She even flat-lined at one point, but we got her heart going again. She's doing well and we're monitoring her. We've got police officers all around her room so she won't be going anywhere. She put you down as her 'In Case of an Emergency' contact so, by law, I have to tell you the details. I'm sorry if I've opened up some scars or-"

"N-no, it's okay. Thanks Frankie." Marissa said as she stared to the floor.

Gabby sighed and reached her hand in search of her mother's. She wanted to do anything she could to comfort her, knowing full well that she wasn't the only one who would have preferred that Tammy hadn't survived that surgery.

"It's okay, Mom." Gabby whispered. Marissa's tears began to fall. "It's okay."

"Why don't you two wait for Bianca in her room?" Frankie suggested. "She should be here in a bit and I know she's going to want to see the both of you."

Gabby looked from Marissa to Frankie and nodded, grateful for his suggestion. The young Montgomery took a hold of her mother's hand and lifted herself off of her chair. Marissa got to her feet and took a deep breath to compose herself. She wouldn't let the news of Tammy's survival get to her. If anything, she should be happy that Tammy wasn't able to beat life and die without having to face the consequences of her actions. No. She would be content that Tammy had a long and guilty life ahead of her. She dried her eyes as she walked into Bianca's room.

"Sorry, guys. I have to use the washroom."

Gabby smiled and let go of her hand before she made her way to an empty, comfortable chair in the room. Frankie stayed with Gabby and he rubbed his eyes.

"You okay there, Doc?" Gabby asked.

Frankie chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah. Just tired."

"Long week?"

"Long night…"

Gabby could tell that Frankie was struggling with something as he kept rubbing his eyes and noticed the small amount of tears that formed behind his eyes.

"Frankie?" Gabby asked as a family friend. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry. It's just that…that was one of the most difficult surgeries I've ever had to do and it wasn't because of all of the bleeders and having to bring someone back from the dead…but it _was_ because I had to bring her back from the dead."

"What you mean?" The brunette asked.

"It just brought back so many memories for me, y'know? I mean there I was operating on a criminal…a criminal who took a parent away from her young children for selfish reasons and personal gain. It reminded me of the bastards who did that to my father and held him hostage for so long…" Frankie's tears were falling hard now. "I grew up thinking my father was dead! And so did Nathan and Sofia and they would have grown up without Bianca if it weren't for Miranda and Marissa and anyone who believed Bianca to still be alive." Gabby moved closer to Frankie as she stepped away from her chair and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "When Tammy flat-lined…I seriously considered just letting her die. There would be one less bit of evil in the world if I didn't help her…but then what does that say about me?"

"But you didn't."

Gabby and Frankie looked to see Marissa who had come into the room moments before Frankie asked his question.

"You didn't let her die. You did the noble thing and saved her because you knew that if you let her die then that would stir up all kinds of evil within yourself and you're not a bad guy Frankie Hubbard. You're one of the good guys."

"Indeed he is." Said another voice coming from the doorway. The three individuals in the room turned to see Bianca Montgomery being wheeled into the room.

"Mom!" Gabby exclaimed. With a smile, she ran to Bianca who got out of the wheelchair and embraced her daughter. Over Gabby's shoulder, the older brunette watched as Marissa engulfed Frankie into a hug, one that both could tell he needed.

"Thank you," he whispered as Marissa pulled away from him. "I'll see you three later." Frankie said as he moved to exit the room. "And thanks to you too Mini Bianca." He said with a smile. Gabby chuckled as she still hung onto her mother knowing full well that Frankie, even though he grew up without his father, now had the best relationship with him possible.

"And I'll be back as soon as I have the results." Griffin said as he left the three women alone.

Planting a kiss on Bianca's cheek, Gabby turned to both of her mothers.

"Well, I think I'm going to go for a walk. The caffeine is wearing off and I need more."

"Baby, you can just sleep here." Bianca said as she pointed to the inviting bed ahead of them.

"Nah, it's okay. I prefer to stay awake. Besides, I know you too have a lot to talk about without me getting in the way of it."

"Gabby, you're not in the way of anything," Marissa reasoned.

"True, but that doesn't change the fact that you two need to talk."

Bianca moved her mouth to say something, but Gabby silenced her.

"Don't worry Mom… We'll get our time." She said with a smile. "Besides, if memory serves me right, before you were kidnapped, you promised to take me to Six Flags…"

"_So, tell me. Is this __**really**__ the first time you've been on a rollercoaster?"_

"Just the two of us. And just to let you know, I'm holding you to that." Gabby finished with a wink and turned to leave. As she left the room, the young brunette blew a kiss to both of her mothers, leaving them alone.

Bianca took a deep breath before she brought her hands up to her eyes and rubbed them. She yawned and walked towards Marissa when the redhead came into focus.

"Tired?" She asked.

Bianca simply nodded.

"But Gabby's right. We have to talk."

"We don't have to if you're too tired."

Bianca stood directly in front of Marissa and enveloped her into her arms, hugging her fiercely. As Bianca closed her eyes, she was reminded of how much she had missed Marissa. She missed the way she felt in her arms, how it felt be so close to her, even though she hadn't been exactly lacking in that department these past few months. But to Bianca, it felt as if this whole other part of her had been woken, a part of her that she didn't even know existed. And the odd part was that that part of her seemed to become more and more alive with every memory that had continued to consume her…except for those final two that she just couldn't seem to bring herself to see or remember and it shouldn't have bothered her so much… But it did. She felt as if the two most important memories pertaining to her and Marissa were missing and she didn't know why… What was it about those two memories that had her so shaken up?

"Bianca?" Marissa asked worriedly.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry." Bianca apologized as she realized how tightly she had her wife pressed against her.

"It's okay… I miss being so close to you…"

"I know," Bianca said softly. "I do too."

"You do?" Marissa asked, her hope returning to her yet again.

Bianca nodded.

"I do… I really do. I remembered so much in that basement."

Marissa took a deep breath as she echoed her question from before.

"Like what?"

Bianca smirked slightly.

"Liiiike…" She sighed. "When Ian was born or my Mom and Uncle's Jack's 5th wedding and I remember _finally_ being okay with my past and coming to terms with what Michael Cambias did to me. The numerous hours of therapy it took to finally be okay… I remember falling for Maggie and thinking that Miranda was dead only to have Babe come confess to me that her baby was really my baby. I remember J.R accidentally pushing me off the balcony, thinking I was trying to take his little girl away from him. I remember leaving for Paris and living in Paris with Miranda and Maggie… I…I remember Maggie cheating on me and I remember Zarf…Zoe…"

"What else…?" Marissa whispered.

"I remember Reese and our entire relationship and how we wanted Gabby. And asking Zach to be the donor…but that's nothing new. My God, I…I remember...I remember Kendall's advice and how everything would be okay. I remember my girls and AJ and Nathan and Sofia and more memories of Travis during and after the pregnancy and I…"

"What?" Marissa asked softly, tears forming in her eyes, threatening to fall.

"You…" Bianca whispered. "I remember you…wanting you…needing you…loving you…"

Marissa let out a gasp of relief and dared to smile through the tears that had started to fall. They began to fall harder as Bianca's revelation hit her harder than anything ever had in her lifetime. Bianca reached out and placed a soft hand on her wife's cheek, comforting her, which only gave cause for Marissa to cry even more.

"You don't know how hard I've prayed for this to happen." Marissa said through choked sobs. "I missed you so much!"

Bianca leaned into Marissa as much as she could, wanting to be as close to her as possible.

"Shh, shh. It's okay… I'm here now. I'm here…not all of me, but I'm here."

"No, you are here. I don't care if you can't remember those two memories. They'll come back, just like everything else."

"But what if they don't?"

"No! None of that! They will! And even if they don't, then I will show them to you. We'll relive them…even if I have to be you in them."

Bianca chuckled, as she held on tighter to her wife, never wanting to let her go.

"I remember how you defended me in my divorce with Reese and how much you loved my girls even before we were together." Bianca said as she felt the joy and contentment emanating from her soul as it searched for its other half, not needing to look too far. "AJ, I remember him and loving him and falling for his adorable ways, the same way you did. I remember our first kiss and our second… Our first time…"

Marissa snickered, remembering how smitten she had been and while she tried to remain calm and keep her cool, she couldn't help but feel overly excited yet completely nervous, much the same way she felt in this moment.

"And the morning after…" Bianca bit her lip as she recalled the memories. "I remember preparing for our wedding and buying the house, how we basically asked each other to move in together, even though I had started the conversation." The redhead laughed again and nodded. "And I remember our wedding day…our first dance and that night… _Not just_ _that_" Bianca said when she recognized Marissa's expression of desire as one of her eyebrows cocked. "I meant during the reception when I needed air, I walked out and there you were…waiting for me. It's as if you knew exactly what I needed."

"'Cause I did…" Marissa simply said and Bianca nodded.

"And…and I remember finding out when you were pregnant with Fia, Nate and Travis."

"One of the happiest days of my life…before this one. God, I missed you!" Marissa stated before she claimed Bianca's lips in her own. The brunette, instinctively, raised her hands to cup Marissa's face as the redhead smothered her wife's mouth with a kiss of adoration and intimacy that had Bianca's toes feeling numb with desire. She felt Marissa leaning into her, walking the two of them before the brunette felt her backside collide with the bed. Releasing one of her hand from Marissa's tear-stained face, she felt around behind her and relaxed against the bed, pulling Marissa closer to her as her hand went from its place on the bed to encompassing the redhead's waist. As Bianca felt Marissa's tongue delve into her mouth and move past her own, she released a passionate groan that she had been holding back and hopped onto the bed, seating herself as Marissa moved in between her wife's legs. Bianca shifted her hand downward allowing her hand to wander underneath the redhead's shirt.

"Wait-wait-wait," Bianca muttered against Marissa's mouth.

"What?"

"N-not here…" She argued as Marissa nibbled on Bianca's upper lip and sighed.

"Okay…okay…"

"Babe, I'm sorry. Trust me, I want to…I _really_ do, but here? When anyone can walk in? Plus I want-"

"No, no. You don't have to say anymore. You're right."

"So…can I ask you something?" Bianca asked.

"Of course."

"What made you realize that I remembered?"

Marissa smiled and kissed Bianca.

"That." She said. "The way you kissed me. You seemed so much more comfortable and you played with my hair more… Seemed so much more you. Plus I remembered all the little quirks that you used to save just for me…and you did them while we were being held…"

"So…you _did_ notice?"

"Yeah…" Marissa smiled. "I did."

As they calmed down, there was a knock at the door.

"Sorry to interrupt ladies," Griffin said.

"Why would you think you were interrupting anything?" Marissa asked.

Griffin sent the two of them a knowing grin. Bianca and Marissa blushed furiously.

"Nevermind," Griffin said as he walked into the room holding up Bianca's scans.

"So? What's the verdict?" Bianca asked.

"Well, Bianca…there's absolutely nothing wrong with your brain. I'll just go get your release forms and you ladies can go home."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

He didn't know how he could do this. How he could handle doing this, but it was part of his job. He had to.

Frankie Hubbard had just received news that his patient was awake and doing well, which didn't settle with him. He wanted her to suffer. That thought scared him. He would never want to inflict any form of pain on another human being, no matter how terrible they were. But this case just hit far too close to home with him. He stood outside, a few doors down from Tamara Hendersen's room, preparing himself for what he was about to do.

With a final breath, he gathered himself and all of his courage and soon enough, his hatred turned to anger, not wanting to be compassionate at all for this human being because she failed to show even a fraction of it for some of the most important people in his life.

As he powered through the hall and into the door of his patient, he saw that she was fast asleep. With all of his physical strength, he stroke the foot of Tammy's bed, _hard_, with his hand, jolting her awake.

"I've got good news and bad news Ms. Hendersen. The good news is that you're alive because I stopped your heart from shutting down and took those bullets out of you, one of which was lodged into a very serious place that was stopping your blood flow. The bad news is that you're alive and your gun that has your fingerprints all over it has been given to the cops…" Frankie looked down at the weak blonde with indignation before he spoke for a final time. "Have a nice life."

As Tammy watched Dr. Hubbard leave her room, she looked down at her right wrist and found that she was unable to move it as she wished she could. Something was stopping her.

She was cuffed to the bed…

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Thoughts? Please review!

Lotsa love!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	37. Time

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Gabby's POV**

Imagine you could tear the world apart  
>Lay it all out like a weather chart<br>Take your time 'cause you're up against space  
>Sweep up the tears running down your face<p>

You burn bright when you're left alone  
>Build up the speed to bring you home<br>Turn off the lights and watch you glow

To the end of all time, just so I can see the lightning climb over you  
>To the end of all time, just so I can see the lightning climb over me<p>

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

To say that things had gone back to normal in Bianca's life was a gross understatement. Within the last two weeks, things only seemed to get more and more dramatic and _far_ too theatrical for her liking. She wanted to focus on three things and three things _only;_ her family, the Miranda Centre and her wife. That was all she wanted, but no. Time had other cruel plans for her, written in her fate. The two ficklest of friends an individual can be introduced to: time and fate.

Ever since her return from the hospital, time just seemed to stand still in moments and in others? Well, it just seemed to run past her far too quickly; so fast that she was unable to keep up with its pace.

Kendall had insisted on her and Marissa's stay, along with Sofia, Nathan and Gabby. Their house wouldn't be ready to be lived in again for another three weeks and that amount of time was a small price to pay according to Kendall, if even a price at all. She was blatantly content with having her sister under her roof along with her wife and three of their five kids. She could feel Bianca becoming even closer to her than they were from before her abduction. There was no doubt inside Kendall that Bianca was well on her way back to a full recovery of her memories. But the curly-haired Kane woman could definitely sense the uneasiness within her younger sister. She just knew what was bothering Bianca. The younger Kane woman was struggling with her mind and the ability to keep up with herself. Bianca couldn't remember those last two memories. She had confided in Kendall as to her fear of never getting those two memories back, but normally, Kendall would think that they wouldn't mean so much to her sister. However, they clearly did.

"_I dunno! I dunno why they seem so __**bloody**__ important to me Kendall! I just know that they do! And I'm going out of my mind trying to figure them out! I just want to remember them! __**Why**__ can't I remember them?"_

Kendall did her best to make Bianca feel at ease, that it was okay that she couldn't remember hers and Marissa's first date or how they got engaged. And she wasn't the only one.

Gabby had spent every waking hour by her mother's side when Bianca wasn't helping Miranda at the Centre. Gabby wasn't simple-minded, but she definitely thought that the simplest things like a hug or a soft hand on the shoulder spoke volumes more than words. In her mind's eye, speaking about your emotions and feelings were as sensible as trying to describe an event through a photograph using the same technique. If a single action could do the same thing it would take for someone to explain something, it would be easier and mean more to simply do the action. For example, a gentle hand on the shoulder could easily be translated to "are you okay?" and the powerful expression of a hug could say "I'm here for you whenever you need me. You don't even have to look for me because I'm here by your side."

_Gabby watched Bianca as the older woman sat on the couch, alone, pondering something. She had her back turned to Gabby and the younger Montgomery could hear the soft sobs escaping her mother's lips. She bit her bottom lip, trying to repress the intense emotions of sadness for Bianca. She walked, slowly, and approached her with caution. As she extended her hand, Gabby felt a calm fall over her. She took a deep breath and rested said hand up on her mother's shoulder, leaning over the back of the couch to greet her with a small smirk. She didn't say anything, Her eyes conveyed thoughts of wishing Bianca nothing but every happiness and peaceful rest that she deserved, and Gabby knew that her mother received her message. _

_The 14 year old watched as her mother took a gentle hold of her slender hand and kissed it before holding it firmly between her hands. Gabby climbed over the back of the black leather sofa to sit next to Bianca and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. _

"_You just need a little time." Gabby said with a smile, which received an understanding nod from Bianca, who had chuckled lightly._

"_Thank you Monster." Bianca whispered back._

Miranda did nothing spectacular in helping Bianca out, the older Montgomery found. But she did do a lot more than anyone thought. Miranda was, as an outsider may see, as somewhat reserved. However, what most people failed to realize, other than her two mothers and siblings, was that Miranda was very subtle in her assistance to her mother's recuperation. While Miranda recognized that everyone seemed to offer Bianca hugs and words of encouragement and sympathy, the 19 year old knew better. If history served her correctly, people always brought to light the fact that, in terms of personality and mannerisms, she was identical to her mother. That said, Miranda offered Bianca a sort of solace from the madness of the advice and words of wisdom. The young woman offered her mother a distraction between work and laughter. If there was one thing that Miranda knew to be true, was that if you think too much about something, the thought you wish for will never come. From experience, she knew that with distraction, comes what you're looking for.

And she was right.

"_Mom? Did you find those case files you were looking for this morning?" Miranda asked as she walked into their office._

"_Yes! I did, thank God. I thought I would go nuts!" Bianca replied._

"_Ahh, no! No, no __**I'm**__ the crazy one in this family and you can't take that away from me. It's not fair."_

_Bianca chuckled._

"_Ahh, of course. Forgive me for taking your crown Princess."_

"_Fine." Miranda smiled genuinely as she stuck her tongue out playfully. "I won't behead you just yet."_

"_Oh, 'just yet', huh?"_

"_Yup!" She said, still smiling._

"_Thank you Mimo." Bianca said._

"_For what?"_

"_This. All of it." The older brunette said as she gestured to their surroundings._

_Miranda shrugged her shoulders._

"_It isn't anything you wouldn't have eventually done yourself, Mom."_

_Bianca shook her head._

"_No, not just that."_

"_What then?" Miranda asked as she scrunched her eyebrows._

"_You're the first person who hasn't asked me to talk about getting my memory back or asking me if I'm okay with not remembering some stuff."_

_Miranda took a deep breath as she held onto the back of the chair in front of her before she regarded her mother with a loving glance._

"_Well, I already know how you're doing with those two memories, so there's no point in asking when I already know the answer. Also, I've found in the past that talking about the same thing over and over impedes the person's ability to cope or, in your case, remember. I can read you like an open book, Mom. The same way you can read me. You're tired of talking about it __**and**__ if you did want to talk to me about it, I trust that you would have come to me without expecting me to be able to read your mind… Besides it's more fun to be able to be the person who can let you forget if only for a moment and get you to laugh." She finished with a smile._

Nathan and Sofia didn't have to do anything. Their smiles filled Bianca with every joy imaginable. Apart from their 'Welcome Home' cards, which she was beginning to think had become a favourite past time of theirs; the two of them barely bothered her about it. She reassured them that she remembered the both of them and that they had nothing to be scared of anymore when they were around her. They always hugged her. She could _never_ get enough of their hugs.

"_Mommy!"_

"_Mommy!"_

_The two youngsters ran into the family room to find their two moms cuddled together under a blanket watching television. It was way past their bedtime, but they ran to the pair of them._

"_What's wrong?" Marissa asked._

"_Are you okay?" Bianca voiced._

_Nathan crawled into Marissa's lap as Sofia made her way into Bianca's._

"_Fia had a drweam!"_

"_It was bad." Sofia said softly._

"_What happened, baby?" Marissa asked looking over to her daughter._

"_I drweamed that Momma Binx was still gone…" The youngster began to tear up a bit. "And that when she came back, she didn't want to see me anymowre."_

_Bianca looked to Marissa. Her own tears had begun to fall and before she pulled Sofia closer to her, she wiped them so as to not scare her little girl. She hugged Sofia tightly; as tightly as she possibly could and pulled back, forcing the little girl to look at her._

"_Listen Baby Girl, it was __**just**__ a bad dream okay? Mommy's here. She's here and she's __**never**__ going to forget you or leave you __**ever**__ again, okay?" Bianca pressed a kiss to Sofia's forehead._

"_Me too, Mommy?" Nathan said from Marissa's lap. She shifted closer to her wife and, holding Nathan in one arm, she wrapped Bianca in the other. The brunette leaned over her wife to press her nose to Nathan's._

"_Yes, you too Nate."_

AJ found himself a little out of the loop. He lived away from his mothers and while he spent the majority of his time helping out around Kendall and Zach's place, he felt that he wasn't doing enough. He wanted to do more. As a result of his aspiration, AJ took it upon himself to be Bianca's go-to guy, for whatever she needed. If she required a lift to the Miranda Centre, he was there to drive her. If he felt she needed a smile, he sent one her way. And, if he heard her stomach growling from the other end of the room, he'd go get her food without question or needing to know what she wanted.

He knew.

"_Okay, double cheeseburger, no pickles with tomato, lettuce, ketchup and __**light**__ mayo."_

"_Yes!" Bianca smiled as she watched AJ enter the Miranda Centre office holding a bag from __**Krystal's**__._

"_And…"_

_Bianca looked up at him with hopeful eyes._

"_Chili fries?" She asked with a childish grin adorning her face._

"_Chili fries!" AJ said laughing at his mother's facial expression._

"_Damn! How did you know?"_

_AJ had finished pulling Bianca's food out of the bag and tossed it aside so she had room to eat. He chuckled._

"_I could hear your stomach grumbling outside the door and judging from the look on your face at the time, you could __**only**__ have been thinking about this meal right here! So I figured I'd go get it for you. It's the least I could do considering everything everyone else is doing for you. I feel like I'm doing nothing."_

_Bianca stopped herself from taking another bite of her burger as she chewed on the pieces in her mouth slowly at AJ's revelation. She swallowed the contents of her mouth and wiped it with a napkin nearby. As she stood, she smirked and sighed._

"_C'mere." She said, holding her hand out for AJ to take, which he did. As he moved closer, Bianca enveloped him into a hug and rested her hand on his back. He had become too tall for her to rest it on the back of his head like she used to be able to. "Damn! You got so tall." She said giggling._

"_You just noticing that now?"_

"_Yeah, kinda." She said jokingly. "Look," Bianca said, pulling away. "You do __**a lot**__ more than you think. Just seeing you smiling at me every morning before you go get the kids ready makes my day __**that**__ much brighter. Your smile does wonders AJ. So, keep smiling because without it, I wouldn't have one more reason to be grateful to be home and remember what I do."_

And then there was Marissa: her rock, her beacon of hope, her love. Bianca just couldn't imagine her life without the hopeful redhead. On the list of the unimaginable was how the brunette couldn't seem to do justice to the visualization of the way Marissa must have felt after all this time. Looking back on what the lawyer had done for her by means of space and time, strength and love, Bianca found herself as lucky as ever. And yet, she felt so much guilt. She couldn't fathom how Marissa must have felt this whole time, from the first day.

Could you imagine?

You're looking into the eyes of the one you love with all your heart and they are asking you "have we met?" When those same eyes, not so long ago, were begging, "don't forget about me."

Marissa was her one and only, her rock, her hope that everything would be okay.

"_You okay?" Marissa whispered into the darkness. She tried to shift her body closer to Bianca's, wanting to let her know she was there, but when she tried to move, Bianca seemed to shift. "What's wrong?" She asked. Bianca remained silent, facing away from Marissa. The redhead took a deep breath and sighed deeply, biting her lip to keep her from crying, yet again. With a tentative hand, she reached out for Bianca and rested her palm on the brunette's face. Gently, she begged Bianca silently to turn to face her. The brunette complied and turned to face her wife. "What is it?" _

_Bianca shook her head._

"_I just…" She released a breath. "I don't know. I know I'm not alone, but I feel alone. I-"_

"_Hey, hey. No, it's okay. You're bound to get mixed emotions after everything you've been through, but you're not alone. I promise you. I'm right here and I know I may not seem like much seeing as how it's just the two of us, but sometimes, all it takes is one to reignite the fire that's burned out within us or make that spark of a flame grow 'til it lights up a room."_

_Bianca smirked._

"_Yes, I know it sounds cheesy, but I'm right aren't I? It's me, Babe. Let me be that__** one**__ for you." She noticed Bianca tried to speak again. "Ah! No! None of that. I don't want to hear anymore about those two damn memories for the night. We're here, together, safe and I love you so much and all I want to do is make you smile and believe that I'm here to fight your battles with you, okay?" Bianca didn't move or speak, which made Marissa groan in frustration. "Okay!" She said a little more forceful._

_This time, Bianca replied, but not with her words._

_She leaned forward and captured Marissa's lips with her own. It wasn't anything grand or erotic. It was simple, soft, and gentle. Bianca moved forward and allowed her body to collide with Marissa's as she pressed herself against her wife, who had instinctively engrossed Bianca in a tight embrace, enjoying the feeling of her mouth being caressed in ways she had only dreamed of until recently._

Time…

Time was all Bianca had really needed or wanted.

Time was all Bianca could hope for in this moment as she sat on the couch listening to what Jackson Montgomeryhad to say to her and Marissa. He had stopped by, hoping that the two of them would be there.

"What is it Uncle Jack?"

Time had given Bianca and Marissa two weeks. Two weeks to restore some semblance of normalcy in their already chaotic lives and when Jack had shown up at Kendall's door begging to speak with Bianca and Marissa, the brunette felt that their time was up.

"Tammy's case is being taken to trial." Jackson stated simply. "Exactly one month from now and she has no chance of bail."

"Okay…" Bianca said slowly. "So, what's the bad news?"

Marissa read the painful expression on Jack's face before she realized what he had to say would crush Bianca.

"No. No, Uncle Jack-"

"I'm sorry Marissa. But with that evidence, I have to."

"Wh-what?" Bianca asked, now near panicking. "What is it?" She stated, looking between her wife and uncle.

"N-not only will _you_ have to testify, but Miranda will have to as well."

"M-Miranda? What? No! Why?"

"Because," Jack said calmly, "Miranda basically headed an investigation and was the first one to find any evidence that you were alive, which gave cause for the case to be reopened. She's a star witness."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**Bianca's POV**

At light speed, can we last for long?  
>See it backslide in the burning sun<br>By the way I ought to let you know  
>The equator peeled off when I let you go<br>Turn off the lights and watch you glow

See the world through the faintest glow  
>She breaks apart with one final glow?<br>Really?  
>Your answer's no and all you hear is<br>It's the end of all time

To the end of all time, just so I can see the lightning climb over you  
>To the end of all time, just so I can see the lightning climb over me<br>Over you

_The End of All Time – Stars of Track & Field_

o.o.O.O.o.o

Soooooo, what did you think?

Please leave a review!

Lotsa Love!


	38. Butterfly

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Miranda's POV**

My name is Miranda Mona Montgomery. I am currently 23 years old and I have a very unique family. Two moms, a twin brother (not biologically speaking), a little sister who is also my cousin, and two younger siblings, triplets, but one died at birth. Now, we're reminded of him through Sofia's laughter and Nathan's curiosity. A lot of people don't get our cohesiveness, but it works and we don't care what everyone thinks. If we did, we definitely wouldn't be where we are now in life. They told my mother, Bianca Montgomery, that she would only end up disappointed when she fell for my other mom, Marissa Tasker. Mostly because my mother has a history with straight women or seemingly gay women leaving her for something else; a man, for fear of being with her; another woman; deceit; work – you name it, it's happened. So, why was Marissa different? Because she was the exception. Marissa encompassed everything those other women weren't – she knew what and who she wanted, she wasn't afraid to take a leap, she was always honest and she put her (my mother's and her own) kids first. Anger was never an issue and always resolved with a smile and immediately. Things were never left unsaid or full of regret. And the little things she did instilled the greatest of happiness in not only my mother, but us kids and within herself.

Destiny isn't based on intentions or even the choices we make, but the accidents that happen.

There is a paper ascribed to Lorenz in 1963 where he makes a statement:

"_One flap of a seagull's wings would be enough to alter the course of the weather forever."_

By the 1970s, 1972 to be exact, the flap of the wings of the seagull had transformed into a more poetic and softer flap of the wings of a butterfly and begged the question:

_Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil cause a tornado in Texas?_

That's why they call it _The Butterfly Effect_.

The smallest, most insignificant moments that we don't even know or recognize when they happen could have the most profound effects or extreme impacts on human life. We can come to find that such a small change has shifted our course or path entirely…

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_**Monday July 12, 2021**_

_**09:00 AM**_

Minutes passed like a slow motion clock counting down the final seconds of a game that a team in the winning position waits for before the other team can catch up tying the game instead of losing. Miranda Montgomery sat in the air-conditioned courtroom, standing when she was supposed to as the regular case opening process began. She sat between her two mothers. Bianca had her hand in her own while Marissa rested one soothingly on her knee. Truth be told, Miranda Montgomery knew this day would come, she just didn't think it would be so soon. Her Uncle Jack was going after Tammy with everything and for everything he could. She simply stared into the space before her, her heart beating out of her chest. She didn't know why her heart was pounding so hard. This was the time for Tammy to get the punishment she deserved, and for the life of her, Miranda couldn't get rid of the feeling in the pit of her stomach that things would go awry.

It had been a very eventful two weeks for Miranda. She had never been part of preparations for the District Attorney's case before and all of the attention had her somewhat baffled, but it did have its upsides…

_She walked into Kendall and Zach's home after returning from her Uncle Jackson's firm to discuss the details of Tammy's trial and the questions they'd go through. She had given him every bit of knowledge she could and remembered everything she could from the past three years. They reviewed the statements she had given to the Pine Valley Police Department and devised a strategy to ensure Tammy's imprisonment. _

"_Hey you," she was greeted with. She looked up to find Bianca emerging from the kitchen._

"_Hey Mom." She replied as she attempted to smile through the deep thoughts that had consumed her on the drive home._

"_How did it go?" Bianca said as she moved closer to her daughter. _

_Miranda had forced herself out of her thoughts to focus on her mother. She looked at her face and could the mounting concern on Bianca's face._

"_Uh, it went okay, I think. Uncle Jack seems confident."_

"_Well, that's good. I hope he doesn't go too much into that confidence. You never know with these cases."_

_Miranda nodded._

"_I know. The justice system likes to play around with people. Especially defense attorneys to criminals."_

"_What can ya do?" Bianca asked with a shrug. "Sometimes good things happen to bad people and people who don't deserve their freedom end up with it because there are a lot who know how to manipulate the system."_

"_Yeah, well, I'm sick of that garbage…" __**What can ya do?**__ "…What can I do? …What can I do? I'll tell you __**exactly**__ what I can do."_

"_What's that?"_

_Miranda was close to her breaking point. She despised that everything she worked to find could all be meaningless if Tammy didn't get what she deserved. And that was very possible. She wasn't naïve, but Miranda was a believer that small things could have drastic changes. If one person saved a life, that life could go onto great things; if someone arrested one dangerous person then the world would be that much safer – people could fall asleep feeling safe and secure in their own homes._

"_You're always telling me that all it takes is one, right? One person to make a huge difference; one person out of multiple billions, right?"_

_Bianca nodded._

"_Right."_

"_Okay… Well, you remember when you said I could come to you for anything about my future?"_

"_Of course," she smiled. Miranda had walked past her and plopped herself down onto the couch. Bianca walked over to her daughter and sat directly in front of her on the coffee table. Miranda didn't speak for minutes, but she could sense her mother growing worried, but she remained patient. "Hey," Bianca said as she reached out for her daughter and placed a comforting hand on her knee. Miranda looked up. "What is it, Baby?"_

"_You're not gonna like it, Mom."_

_Bianca smiled and shifted forward. She took a hold of both of Miranda's hands as if to offer her any strength she needed. _

"_It's not for me to like, Mimo. You're going to be doing it for the rest of your life, __**you**__ have to be the one who wants it."_

_Miranda sighed heavily as she gazed upon her mother's face. As much as she wished she could believe Bianca's words, Miranda knew that the moment she let slip what was swimming around in her head, her mother would most likely feel very differently._

"_You might not be so sure about that once I tell you this…"_

"_What is it?"_

"_I uh…" Miranda regarded Bianca, whose face had remained in a neutral state. She raised her eyebrows as if to urge her daughter to carry on. "Well, I wanna go back to school to become a cop…"_

_**Monday July 12, 2021**_

_**9:16 AM**_

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, this case is simple," Miranda was brought out of her thoughts as she heard Tammy's lawyer make his opening statement. "I think we'd all agree that when it comes to people we love getting hurt that there's always someone who has to take the blame and that is exactly what is happening here today. They take someone in my client's position and use them to place blame."

_Oh, spare me the bullshit,_ Miranda thought as she gazed down at her free hand, which had ceased to tremble. She looked to her left and saw how Bianca looked at her. She gazed at her daughter with sympathy in its purest form. If things had gone Bianca's way, then Miranda wouldn't even be witnessing this trial. If it were up to Bianca, then Miranda would never have the chance to go near another trial in her lifetime…

_But she chose differently_, Bianca thought. Truth be told, after Miranda had revealed to Bianca that she was going to become a police officer, the older brunette's breath caught in her throat knowing _very well_ the kinds of risks her daughter would have to take when she was successful. Bianca knew her daughter; Miranda wouldn't simply stop at simply being an officer. She would go onto to bigger things; detective, maybe even Chief of Police, but that may not even ever be enough for Miranda. The young Montgomery may even become an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and move to Washington. The thoughts scared Bianca, but she took comfort in knowing that her wife felt the exact same way as she did.

"_I'm guessing Miranda spoke to you too today?" Bianca asked as she watched Marissa climb into the bed they shared at Kendall's. The redhead had a somber look etched onto her face. She didn't lie back to be leveled with her wife. Instead, Marissa brought her knees to her chest and hugged them._

"_About her becoming a cop? Oh yeah, I got that talk too."_

_Bianca sat up and shifted herself closer to Marissa. She placed a soft hand on her wife's back and began to run soothing circles to calm her._

"_I'm guessing you don't like the idea?"_

"_No. I don't. How can I?" Marissa questioned. "When we hired those to look for you, she got involved and when she went off with them, it nearly killed me. Knowing that she willingly put herself in danger solely to find you was more than enough for me. Now? Now, she wants to do it for a living? How am I supposed to take that?"_

_Bianca sighed, knowing exactly what her wife was thinking about. Marissa had told her all about the three years that she had missed and how much time and energy she and Miranda had spent trying to find her. Marissa had always been worried about Miranda, every time she left the house to help out the two investigators the redhead's heart would nigh beat out of her chest and wait for the moment when Miranda would finally walk into the house. It was the only thing that would allow Marissa any peace of mind. _

_The brunette kept this in mind as she slid behind her wife and pulled her to her chest. Bianca wrapped her arms around Marissa's body. The redhead watched as the brunette positioned herself in the familiar way she missed; __one arm wrapped securely and lovingly across her shoulders while Bianca caressed her hair. _

"_You take it the same way we take everything else about our kids' futures."_

"_Oh yeah, and how is that?"_

"_We support them and give them advice when they ask for it-"_

"_Bianca, she's-"_

"_Doing what she believes is right for her." The brunette planted multiple kisses to Marissa's temple. When she felt the redhead leaning into her touch and close her eyes, Bianca willed Marissa to look at her. "Look, I don't like it either-"_

"_Oh no, I don't like it. I hate it-"_

"_**But**__ it's what she wants and you know what? We raised her right-"_

"_**You**__ raised her-"_

"_**We**__ raised her. And we raised her right and to be smart and to believe that whatever she wanted, it was in her grasp if she wanted it badly enough. I don't know how she told you, but the look she had on her face, the passion in the way she spoke about it… I think she's meant for it if nothing else… Our baby's been through a lot and she's gotten through all of it…"_

"_She's a survivor…" Marissa stated quietly._

"_She's a survivor…"_

_Bianca felt and heard the rise and fall of the deep breath that Marissa had taken._

"_Guess we don't have to worry," the redhead stated._

_Bianca chuckled._

"_No, I don't think so."_

_**Monday July 12, 2021**_

_**9:20 AM**_

"The State moves that Tamara Hendersen be sentenced to life on charges of kidnapping, physical abuse, and arson."

"On the convicted charges, Counselor, how does your client plea?" The Judge asked as he turned to Tammy's lawyer.

_Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil cause a tornado in Texas?_

And when Miranda heard the four words escape the lawyer's mouth, that very question had her regretting doing what she had done…

"_Ms. Hendersen?" The blonde looked up from her spot in the cell to find a police officer staring at her through her cage. _

"_Yeah?"_

"_You have a visitor."_

_Miranda showed up from behind the officer and quietly thanked him as she moved away from the two of them. _

"_What do you want?" Tammy asked in a dulcet tone. _

"_I don't want anything from you. I never have and I never will."_

"_Then what are you doing here?"_

"_Giving myself some peace of mind… Knowing that you're where you belong after what you did to my family."_

_Tammy burst from her spot and pounded her way over to where Miranda stood, but the brunette remained still, unfazed by the blonde's temper and anger._

"_**This**__ is __**not**__ over Little Montgomery. I'll be out of here before you know it."_

"_How?" Miranda asked as a smirk of disbelief formed on her face. "Don't-don't you get it? There is __**so**__ much evidence built up against you. Your history with the law speaks for itself. The only difference is that this time your ex-husband isn't here to bail you out and anything you say before a judge will only drill you deeper into the hole that dug for yourself."_

"_I didn't dig __**any**__ holes you little shit!"_

"_Of course you did! That's why you're here! You just __**had**__ to get what you wanted even if it meant to hurt the people around you. Couldn't have simply done the non-psychotic thing like a normal person, huh? You just __**had**__ to get rid of a factor in your equation of what happiness meant."_

"_You're delusional Little Montgomery. I was right in what I did."_

"_And you're insane to believe that… I'm not even a professional therapist and I know that much. You're right where you belong and I will spend the rest of my life making sure that you stay here."_

_Tammy smirked thoughtfully and laughed maniacally._

"_Oh really? And what makes you __**so**__ sure of that?"_

_Miranda smiled._

"_Didn't you hear? I'm gonna become a cop… Enjoy life in prison TamTam…"_

_**Monday July 12, 2021**_

_**9:23 AM**_

_Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil cause a tornado in Texas?_

"My client pleas insanity, your Honour…"

_Yes. It does…_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Up next – the trial!

Thanks for all the amazing reviews!

Lotsa love and please review again!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	39. Questions

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Jackson's POV**

It's easy to ask 'why do we do the things we do'? Answering it, however, isn't so simple. There is something called the 'Human Hierarchy of Needs', which was developed by Abraham Maslow in the 1940s or the 1950s. There are 5 stages that are outlined and within them, it attempts to offer an explanation to human motivation, management training and personal development.

Stage 1: Biological and physical needs – These are the basic needs of life; things like food, air, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep etc.

Stage 2: Safety needs – protection, security, order, **law**, limitations, stability etc.

Stage 3: Belongingness and love needs – family, affection, relationship etc.

Stage 4: Esteem needs – achievement, status, responsibility, reputation etc.

Stage 5: Self-actualization – personal growth and fulfillment

Looking at these stages, it seems that last one, stage 5, self-actualization, is where this need for understanding and comprehension resides. That wonderment of why people do the things they do, make the decisions they make, even when it hurts the ones around them. We look for explanations because when we find them, we grow as an individual. We can understand things. That's why we ask questions, why we seek answers to these questions.

It's why detectives look for motive in a case when they have a suspect.

It's why lawyers ask their clients everything they possibly can to make their case strong.

It's what defines us individually.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_**Monday July 12, 2021**_

_**9:34 AM**_

"The State calls Brot Monroe, Chief of Police of the Pine Valley Police Department to the stand, Your Honour, as its first witness." Jackson Montgomery voiced into the silent courtroom. Brot rose from his spot and walked over to the stand. After he was sworn in, he took a seat and sighed as he waited for Jack to begin questioning him. "Chief Monroe, were you in charge of Ms. Bianca Montgomery's case when it was being investigated the first time?"

"No, I wasn't."

"Do you know who was?"

"Yes. The Chief at the time; Robert Collins."

"And he closed that case didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. He pronounced Ms. Montgomery dead."

"And then it was re-opened?" Jackson stated as he walked towards Brot.

"Yes."

"Ahh. Could you please describe to the Court how the case was re-opened?"

"Ms. Montgomery's daughter, Miranda, and two private investigators had discovered her whereabouts and brought her home. Once someone attempted to abduct her again, we reopened the case."

"And how long was that?"

Brot scrunched his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry?" Brot asked.

"How long was it after you discovered that Bianca was alive that you reopened her case?"

"It was about a week later."

Jackson rested his elbow on the stand in front of Brot.

"Why so long?"

"Well," Brot said as he bettered his posture. "We wanted to keep quiet for a while. It was apparent that because Ms. Montgomery escaped after being held captive for so long, there may have been another attempt on kidnapping her. So we kept the details quiet."

Jack nodded and looked at Bianca who remained expressionless.

"Could you explain how you discovered that it was Tamara Hendersen who abducted Ms. Montgomery?"

"Certainly. Well, once she was found, her daughter, Miranda, gave up the locket she found on the day of her mother's supposed funeral. From that the Forensics Department discovered that the locket was torn rather than simply removed. Using the force it took to tear away the necklace, they were able to determine the angle at which it tore. From that they discovered the appropriate height of the individual and using that height, we were able to determine how much this person weighed."

"And what was that, Chief Monroe?"

"The height was 5 feet, 3 inches, weight of 107 pounds."

"Much like the defendant?" Jackson questioned.

"Assuming that's her height and weight, yes."

"What else did you find out from the locket?"

"We found some fibers that match a pair of very expensive and very rare gloves."

"How is that significant?"

Brot looked to the jury and then at the judge before he regarded Jackson and took a deep breath.

"Only ten pairs of gloves were sold _ever_ and it was during fashion week in Paris of the year 2017."

"The year before Ms. Montgomery's disappearance?"

"Yes."

"How did you narrow it down to Ms. Hendersen as the one who was in possession of these gloves?" Jack asked.

"Well, as I said, only ten pairs of these gloves were _ever_ sold and they were far too expensive to be paid with cash only. There are records of transactions made at the different shows that take place during fashion week. We managed to get a copy of the ten individuals who purchased the gloves."

"And Miss Hendersen's name was on that list?"

"No, it wasn't. We found out later on that Miss Hendersen has a history with credit card fraud. She had gotten a hold of the credit card of one of the individuals on the list and purchased the gloves."

"And you're certain of this?"

"Yes," Brot nodded. "We found them when we got the warrant to search her place of residence."

"Thank you Chief Monroe. That's all the questions I have, Your Honour." Jack said. He turned on his heel and walked back to his chair where Caleb sat and sunk into his spot beside him.

"Your witness, Mr. Ward." The judge stated.

Damien Ward was known for being lethal, figuratively speaking. He had never lost a case and when it was him time to cross-examine a witness, he was a bloodhound. Then again, he had never had a client plea insanity.

Then again…he had never gone up against Jackson Montgomery or Caleb Cortlandt.

"Chief Monroe, am I to understand that, from an angle, you deduced how much force it took to rip the chain apart?"

"The Forensics Department did. But it just wasn't the angle. It was the way the chain broke as well."

"'The way the chain broke'? What do you mean?"

"The specific patterns in the chain of the locket tell a very specific story, Mr. Ward. The way they broke is very specific to a certain amount of force."

"And then you, sorry, _they_ determined the angle from that?"

"Yes. That's what I said."

"And what angle was that?"

"An incidence angle of 36 degrees."

"Could you explain that to us who don't speak physics?"

Brot regarded Damien Ward and smirked, trying to keep his chuckling to a minimum. He raised his left hand so it was flat. He pointed to the tip of his middle finger.

"This is Bianca Montgomery's neck." Ward nodded. "Now, imagine a line that continues along this point. The angle of incidence would be the angle that forms _beneath_ the mark."

"I see. Now, Chief Monroe, they discovered a combination of possible heights and weights that could have worked with this force, correct?"

"Yes."

"And you just happened to come to the conclusion that it was someone who was 5 feet 3 inches and 107 pounds?"

"It was the most likely case."

"And how did you come to that? I mean it seems all too simple that from a math equation that you just came to the conclusion that this was the work of a woman."

"What you fail to realize Mr. Ward is that we weren't solely working with a few numbers, as you are accusing us of. We had a physical description of one of the individuals hired by Ms. Montgomery's abductor."

"And he or she said it was a woman?"

"No, he described someone with the physique of an individual who was 5 feet, 3 inches and 107 pounds."

"Those exact numbers?"

"Not the point, Mr. Ward. It was the closest we got."

"I would like to know his _exact_ description…_Chief_." Damien Ward stated with a malicious and cold voice. He was ambitious and wouldn't let details get the best of him.

"Dustin Meyers stated, as you _will_ note by his statement in the report that was given to you, that the one he called 'Boss' was anywhere from 5 feet 2 inches to about 5 feet 4 inches and weighed about 110 pounds. _If_ he had to venture a guess."

"So that's enough to say it's a woman?"

"No, but the fact that the boss had breasts does."

Miranda couldn't help the light, yet barely inaudible chuckle that escaped her throat. Bianca looked at her with a warning gaze. Marissa grabbed Miranda's hand and squeezed it tightly before sharing a comical look with her. If she could, the redhead would've laughed along with her daughter.

Damien Ward saw nothing else to ask Brot and at that, Brot was excused from the stand and went back to his seat.

_This is going to be a __**long**__ day, _Jack thought.

"Counselor?" The judge voiced. "Your next witness?"

"Respondent calls J.R Chandler, Your Honour."

Marissa looked behind her as J.R rose from his seat. He winked in their direction before making his way to the stand. As he swore his honesty, the redhead thought about the developing friendship between her family and J.R. As much as she hated to admit it, the blonde man had done more than prove himself to Bianca and Marissa in terms of how much he had truly changed. His anger was controlled, he never got more than within 20 feet of alcohol and his relationship with AJ was beginning to blossom into something the both of them had wanted for a long time. He was honest and caring…someone Marissa had thought was long gone.

J.R had resurrected.

"Mr. Chandler, could you please explain what happened on the eve of May 26, 2021?"

"I was on my way to the Slater household with my son AJ. He and I were supposed to have dinner with Bianca Montgomery and Marissa Tasker."

"And when you arrived at the house, what did you find?"

"There were police cars everywhere and a lot of chaos."

"And why is that?"

"Bianca and Marissa had disappeared. No one knew where they were and neither of them were answering their cell phones."

Jack walked over to his area and picked up a file and opened it.

"It says here that _you_ were the one who suggested that the police double-check the Tasker-Montgomery household, which had been in a fire a couple of months ago. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Why would you suggest that?" Jackson said as he tossed the file back on the table. He stood still and waited for J.R's reply.

"Earlier that day, Bianca and Marissa had mentioned going to see the progress on the house because their contractor's secretary had called them to let them know that it was safe to go see it."

"How is that relevant?"

"It was the last place they were headed to that day before having dinner with AJ and I. Marissa said that they were going to go see the house then go straight to the Slater household to get ready for dinner."

"It's not like them to just skip town, huh?"

"Absolutely not. Not without their kids at least."

"So, that prompted you to ask Brot Monroe to do another search?"

"Yes."

"You stated that you used yourself as bait to capture Ms. Hendersen, is that correct?"

"Yes." J.R said. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his leg comfortably.

"Why?"

"Well, it was only a 'just in case'."

"'A just in case'?"

J.R nodded.

"Yeah. You see, we weren't certain that Bianca and Marissa were actually in the house. I volunteered myself to be sent in there to check it out and if they were there and Ms. Hendersen as well, then I would use my past to help get the two of them out of there."

"What do you mean by your 'past' Mr. Chandler?"

J.R took a deep breath and shifted his eyes to Bianca and Marissa.

"It's no secret that I made an attempt on Bianca Montgomery's life ten years ago. I used to hate her so much and I blamed her for every bad thing that had happened to me in 2011. I used to think that she was the reason that I was in prison, the reason why Marissa could never love me, and why my son despised me. At that time, a couple of months ago, everyone was convinced that I still felt that way and was simply trying to get into AJ's good graces to finish what I had started. So I used that point of view to my advantage to gain Tammy's trust because when I walked into that basement, there she was with the two of them. She had a gun to them, but it was Bianca that she wanted dead. So, I tried to bide my time and slow things down until Chief Monroe had what he needed to advance his forces on her."

"And we have a copy of that tape." Jackson said. He turned to his table and held up a player that would allow him to show the Court what J.R spoke of. "Your Honour, with your permission, we'd like to play the recording?"

"Of course." The Judge said.

Jack pressed _Play_ as the entire courtroom listened. J.R's voice echoed throughout the room.

_"Well done, Ms. Hendersen." _

_"J.R Chandler."_

_"I couldn't have done it better myself…"_

_"What are you doing here Mr. Chandler?"_

_"'Mr. Chandler'? C'mon now Ms. Hendersen, that's a little high on respect to be calling me that. I know everyone in this town is an arm's breath away from baptizing me as Satan's child. Simply calling me 'J.R' is compliment enough."_

This was the first time Miranda had heard this conversation. She looked like she was going to be sick. As she turned her head to look Bianca, she noted the fearful look that had befallen her delicate features. It was as if she was reliving it all over again.

When Miranda looked at Marissa, her stare was fixated on Tammy. It gave Miranda chills simply looking at it and couldn't imagine being on the receiving end of it.

_"'Compliment'? The only compliment I can give you Mr. Chandler is being the crappiest shot in all of Pine Valley. Seriously, you couldn't have finished this rape-child loving whore off properly when you decided to shoot up your mansion all those years ago?"_

_"Bianca here was a moving target and I was drunk out of my mind. I could, uh, barely…walk let alone shoot someone properly… So if anything, I'd say I'm a pretty damn __good__ shot Ms. Hendersen. And by the way, you can refer to Bianca as 'Bianca' or 'Ms. Montgomery'… Oh, excuse me, __or__ Mrs. Montgomery-Tasker... You really shouldn't speak ill of the dead."_

_"'The dead'? You want her dead too?"_

_"Of course I want her dead! Do you not read, Ms. Hendersen? Bianca Montgomery took __everything__ from me. She took my life! – My son, my wife! Hell, she even got my ex-wife in between the sheets just to screw with me! What kind of a person does that? And now? She's ripping the __one__ thing you want the most away from you when she had her chance and got herself kidnapped. Am I right? __How__ is that fair?"_

_"It isn't." Tammy said immediately._

_"Exactly. So, tell me… Why shouldn't we finish her off for good this time?"_

_"'We'?"_

_"Yes…'we'. The way I see it, I have an opportunity now, Tamara…it __is__ 'Tamara', right?"_

_"I prefer Tammy."_

_"I'm sorry. __Tammy__. Let me ask you something. Have you ever felt like…you were meant to do something and it just __had__ to be done? And no matter where you were or how long it would take when the time came you just __had__ to do it? …Of course you have, I mean, you were the mastermind behind Bianca's abduction were you not? Months…__years__ of careful plotting and planning, making sure __every__little detail__ was sorted out and tied up to the last little whatever to make sure things went your way. And now, opportunity knocks for you once again."_

_"Yes. As you said, I do."_

_"Well, that's kind of what it's like for me right now, you see? I spent the last, pfft…10 years in a cell just itching and __waiting__ for the day when I would __finally__ be able to get out of that place! I pretended to be a good little boy to get early parole and for what? To make sure I got out early enough to see these two bitches suffer the way I have! …So now, if you'll please hand me the gun in your hand so I can finish what I started? …It's that time Miss Hendersen. They have a debt and I think it's time they give me back what's rightfully mine."_

_"Your son?"_

_"Exactly and as long as __they__ are alive, I'll __never__ be able to get a moment's peace and I will __never__ be able to focus 110 percent on my son. So, if you please hand over that gun, I can finish them off."_

_"Oh no," Tammy said. "You're not finishing them off. Marissa stays alive, not Bianca."_

_"It has to be both of them Tammy." J.R reasoned. "You and I both want Bianca Montgomery dead, so that's not a problem. But Marissa has to die too. Can't you see? As long as Marissa's alive, do you __really__ believe she will stay with you? I had to learn the hard way that Marissa isn't a pushover. She won't come quietly and do what you tell her to Tammy. She will fight tooth and nail to get away from you. And do you __really__ think she'd __ever__ forgive either of us, especially you, for killing Bianca? She won't! She will kill you herself. Trust me, I'm doing us both a favour."_

_"No! Marissa stays alive! That's not negotiable. She stays alive and stays with me. You can do whatever you want to…Bianca, but Marissa stays alive… I can't live without her in my life… Mr. Chandler, it's not negotiable. Bianca will be dead, you'll have your son and I'll have Marissa. I plan to take her __far__ away from the hellhole that is Pine Valley that people call home. Besides, I can't show my face here. They want me behind bars so we'll be long gone! You won't even notice she's alive and you'll have your son all to yourself. It'll be like she's dead to you anyways."_

_"Okay, fine. Marissa lives."_

_Bianca's voice had made its way onto the recording._

_"Which is why no one is dying today, got it? Not you or me."_

_"You __really__ don't have that option. I told you Marissa, this ends today and I am __not__ giving up on you… Just one question…" _

_"Okay," J.R said._

_"Why should I trust you? Hmm? I mean, you're __finally__ out of prison, on parole, no less and yet, you're willing to jeopardize all of that?"_

_"Yes, I am. And I told you why. It's something I __have__ to do. I didn't finish it before and I __always finish__ what I start."_

_"Again, __why__ should I trust you? How can I know I can trust you?"_

_"You can't, but what other option do you have Ms. Hendersen? I mean," J.R said bringing his hand to his chin. "You already have charges against you for kidnapping __and__ arson… If you add 'murder' to that list, they will push for the death penalty __for sure__, right Marissa?" J.R asked._

_"Y-…yes," Tammy muttered._

_"I'm sorry I couldn't hear you," J.R said._

_"Yes!" She shouted._

_"Yes! You see, me? I'm already on the naughty list with the cops and if you try to frame me for killing Bianca when you're the one who did it then you're going to have a __very__ difficult time explaining why my fingerprints aren't on that gun… So… What'll it be, Ms. Hendersen?"_

Jackson pressed the stop button and turned his attention back to J.R before a low mutter could break out amongst the people in the room.

"What happened after that, Mr. Chandler?"

"Ms. Hendersen surrendered her gun to me and I advanced on Bianca and Marissa. I had to keep up my charade, but I turned at the last minute and pointed Ms. Hendersen's gun at her along with the one the Pine Valley Police Department had loaned to me in case it was needed."

"And was it?"

"Yes. The moment I turned, she had another firearm directed at me, ready to shoot and I reacted to protect myself and the two women who were being held."

"And how many shots did you fire?"

"Four, two from each gun."

"Why?" Jackson asked.

"Self-defense."

"Thank you Mr. Chandler. No more questions for the State, Your Honour."

"Mr. Ward, do you have any questions for the witness?" The Judge asked, dully.

"Of course I do, Your Honour." He said with a smirk on his face. He stood up with his chest outwards, looking pompous and cheeky. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked towards J.R at a slow pace.

_This can't be good,_ Marissa thought. _He's gonna get his temper acting. Please, keep calm, J.R._

"Mr. Chandler, you're out of prison on parole, is that correct?"

"Yes." J.R replied calmly.

"Is it not part of your parole that you are not allowed to hold a firearm, let alone fire one?"

"That is correct."

"And yet, you found it pertinent to not only carry one, but then grab a hold of a second one and fire both of them?"

"Like I said, it was in defense."

"'Defense'? If anything, Mr. Chandler, it was _you_ who turned on my client and shot the guns first. My client was simply defending herself against you."

"That's one way of looking at it."

"That's the _only_ way of looking at it, Mr. Chandler."

J.R remained silent and tore his gaze from Damien Ward knowing very well that had he had to look at him for one more second, J.R would surely become enraged.

"I'm curious as to why you volunteered yourself at all Mr. Chandler. It seems to me that it's too perfect how this situation worked out for you. I mean, it _was_ you who suggested they'd take another look in the house. How could you have known that they were there?"

"Like I told Mr. Montgomery before," J.R said with a dangerous tone in his voice. "I had seen them earlier that day and they told me where they were going-"

"A likely story, Mr. Chandler… However, you seemed certain they were there. Perhaps _you_ were the one who had orchestrated all of this. Bianca Montgomery's abduction, I mean you had motive, the perfect motive – she _stole_ your wife and son, did she not? And it could have easily been your doing with setting my client up to make it look like she was the one who was behind all of this. Framing her perhaps?"

"Objection, Your Honour!" Jackson exclaimed. "As the case file indicates, Mr. Chandler was in a high security facility and being monitored of all of his incoming and outgoing messages, emails, mail and contacts. The record will show that there is no such possibility that J.R Chandler could have had _any_ role in Bianca Montgomery's abduction."

"Sustained." The Judge said before he turned to Damien. "Mr. Ward, I'd suggest you keep to the facts and _not_ try to create more drama in my courtroom."

Ward nodded.

"Of course, Your Honour."

J.R raised his eyebrow at the lawyer in front of him, daring to say anything else.

"I have no more questions for the witness for the time being."

"Mr. Chandler, you may step down." J.R rose to his feet and shifted out of the witness stand. With the plop of his foot, he walked across the courtroom back to his seat, which was directly behind Miranda. Marissa turned around to him and mouthed 'Thank you' to which he only smirked weakly, but genuinely and winked softly.

"My next witness, I'd like to call Miranda Mona Montgomery to the stand."

Miranda looked to Bianca who raised her hand to softly touch her baby's face. It was meant to be an act of strength to install courage into her daughter. Bianca knew the pressures of being a witness in a case and didn't wish that on her daughter. But Miranda simply regarded her mother with a small smirk and rose to her feet. As she watched Miranda take the stand, Marissa shifted closer to her wife and placed her hand on Bianca's knee.

Jackson walked over to his niece who felt more like a granddaughter to him and winked. He sighed, wanting to get this over and done with as quickly as possible. With the release of another breath, he began.

"Miss Montgomery, this is your first time as a witness, is it not?"

"Yes Sir." Miranda replied with respect.

"You found your mother's locket, correct?"

"Yes, I did."

"Could you tell us _how_ you came across it?"

"Sure. Well, it was the day of my mother's supposed funeral-"

"'Supposed'?"

"Yes. She's not really dead." Miranda stated as she pointed past her uncle and to her mother.

"Right. Please continue."

"I was in a room full of people who believed she was dead even though there was no body and not enough evidence to really say that she was dead. I didn't believe she was dead and I felt suffocated in that room. So I left the parlour and went to take a walk. There's a cemetery behind the parlour and my great grandmother, Mona, is buried there. So, I went to sit by her grave to think and I asked for a sign. Something caught my eye a little bit away from me and I saw what seemed to be my mother's locket."

"And how did you confirm that it was your mother's locket?"

"I opened it up. She has two pictures in there; one of the 5 of us kids and one of Marissa. They were in there."

"And what did you do with the necklace after that?" Jack questioned.

"I put it in my pocket and then went back to be with my family. We buried the empty casket and that was it."

"Did you tell anyone about what you found?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"My other mom, Marissa Tasker-Montgomery."

"And what did she say when you showed her the locket."

"Nothing. She broke down and cried. She kept saying that she 'knew it'."

"Knew what?"

"That my mother wasn't dead. That maybe something bad had happened to her."

"What happened next?"

Miranda bit her lip and sighed.

"Well, I asked her if we could hire private investigators to locate Mom."

"Why?"

"Because the police had nothing for us. Had they done their jobs properly, they would've found the necklace and a lot of the suffering could have been avoided."

Jackson nodded.

"And what about the ? You helped them in your search, did you not?"

"I did."

"And what did you find?"

"We followed a couple of leads. Once we were certain of who had her and that she was alive."

"'We'?"

Miranda nodded.

"The investigators and myself." Jackson nodded. "We noticed that whoever had my mother, they were staying within the boundaries of Pennsylvania. They liked to revisit places that they had already kept her. It was like they were being watched and monitored."

"And when you found her, what state was she in?"

Miranda clenched her jaw slightly. She could see the way her mother was bound, vividly. It made her sick.

"Miranda?" Jackson asked softly. "It's okay. Take your time."

"No, I'm okay." The nineteen year old felt tears welling in her eyes, but refused to let them drop. "She was scared, most definitely. I had run to her and she took it as an attack and tried to defend herself by raising her hands to her face and curled into a ball to shield her body…" Miranda took a deep breath. "At that point, I dropped to my knees. Her face was bruised and she was bounded on her h-hands…a-and ankles."

"She had been abused?"

"Brutally," Miranda said, but not before she nodded in affirmation of Jackson's question.

"When you finally got her out of there, where had you taken her?"

"To the Miranda Centre, one of our locations."

"And how was she then?"

"After her examination, we found that she had three broken bones, bruising and some swelling."

"Okay, moving along. You told Chief Brot Monroe that it was Ms. Hendersen who was responsible, correct?"

"Yes Sir."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"I had overheard her speaking to a hospital for a bill that she believed she was being overcharged for… Apparently she had to pay for a couple of injuries."

"And after that?"

"She had left the house for something for her business."

"What did you do then?"

Miranda looked up to the ceiling and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and then opened them as she looked at Jackson. From him, she looked to Tammy, who was glaring at her.

"I went into the poolhouse. It's where Ms. Hendersen was staying when she lived with us."

Jack moved closer to Miranda and placed his arm on the stand, resting it comfortably.

"And what did you do?"

"I snooped around, thinking I might find something."

"And did you?"

Miranda nodded.

"Yes, I did."

"What did you find, Miss Montgomery?"

"I found this box under her bed. It fell when I sat on her bed. Apparently, it was taped."

"And you opened the box?"

"Yes."

"And can you please tell the Court what you found in that box?"

"A pair of gloves and this pouch."

"Did you look in the pouch?"

"Yes, I did."

"What did you find?"

"My mother's engagement ring and wedding band."

"The courtroom was filled with muffled mutters from the people watching the case unfold. The instant disarray in the Court had Judge Donahue banging his gavel.

"Order! …I said Order!"

Jack turned to Miranda and nodded once.

"Thank you Miss Montgomery."

"Mr. Ward," Donahue stated. "Do you wish to cross-examine the witness?"

The smug smirk on his face returned as he was asked his favourite question. He nodded enthusiastically as he replied 'yes,' showing off his white teeth. The man made Miranda feel uneasy and couldn't wait for all of this to be over.

Damien Ward walked towards Miranda.

"Miss Montgomery, could you tell everyone here who your father is, please?"

Bianca and Marissa instantly searched for each other as their hands collided and held onto one another tightly in a bone-crushing grip.

_Yes,_ Jackson thought. _This is __**definitely**__ going to be a long day._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Part 1 of the trial. Lots more to come!

Please leave a review and shoutout to all of you who have stuck with me until now. Thank you!

Love you all!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	40. Miranda

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Marissa's POV**

If looks could kill, I'd know of two people right now who'd be more than simply dead. Who could you be if you could bring up so much pain with a single question? And not even care about the effects it will cause on the actual person they're sending this question out to? The only thing that matters to that kind of person is the profit they'll make from asking such a question. In law, it's those lawyers who win their cases simply by making the witness look like a crazed maniac who has no credibility because of the way they react to a question like this one. I've seen it multiple times. It's a tactic of fear. The lawyer knows they have no case, no matter what they say or how confident they seem or make themselves out to be.

That's the case with Damien Ward.

As soon as that hideous question left his mouth, I looked to Bianca. Her face became pale and then, colour returned to her beautiful face. She was red – all she could see was red. The fury and anger was overtaking her and I could see it and feel it. I was holding her back from shooting up from her position and attacking Damien Ward for his lack of compassion and his overwhelming stupidity.

And I knew this.

I knew this.

I knew this because the other person who was shooting daggers at him with their eyes…

Was me.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_**Monday July 21, 2021**_

_**10:04 AM**_

Miranda regarded Damien Ward with no expression whatsoever. She wasn't angry. She wasn't scared. She wasn't cold. She wasn't happy. She was none of those things. She didn't want to give the lawyer the satisfaction he sought for. She knew this tactic. Marissa had told her all about the cold-hearted defense lawyers who tried to play at people's weaknesses solely to get a rise out of them.

No.

She wouldn't fall prey to his strategies.

She refused to.

She wasn't weak.

And she knew that.

She had been told that all her life and she'd be damned if she let an individual who would stoop so low, simply to make an extra thousand dollars, get the best of her.

Miranda looked at Mr. Ward and then shifted her gaze to the two women who raised her. The expressions of worry and anger were so clearly written across their faces, but she didn't want them to worry. Building up their rage now would only hinder their line of questioning later on.

She remained calm and then, slowly, a smirk appeared on her face.

"I don't have a father."

"Are you certain about that?"

"Yes. I have two mothers. No father in my life."

"Then how on earth did you get here?"

Miranda tried her best to not laugh at Damien Ward. He spoke to her like a child, which she most definitely wasn't. Her inner smartass was being placed in a chokehold to keep from responding to his question with a sarcastic remark.

"You really ought to be specific in your questions Mr. Ward, otherwise you don't look very professional or intelligent."

Damien turned away from the witness and bit his lower lip to keep his temper in check. Miranda looked at Jackson Montgomery who wore a smirk on his face. She could tell he was trying desperately not to chuckle as well.

"Fine!" Ward said, a little too forcefully than he hoped he would. "I'll rephrase the question… Miss Montgomery, could you tell us the name of your _biological_ father?"

"Objection Your Honour!" Jacks said as he stood.

"And why is that Mr. Montgomery?"

"Because I cannot see how this woman's genetics pertain to Mr. Ward's defense for his client."

"I swear to you Judge, I have a point."

"Then make it counselor. I don't want to waste any time here and you are walking on _very_ thin ice. Mr. Montgomery, overruled." The judge turned to Miranda. "And you Miss, simply answer his questions without insulting him." He watched as Damien Ward smirked smugly before muttering under his breath, "as difficult as that is..."

"Thank you, Your Honour." Damien said. He looked at Miranda with a grin on his face and raised his eyebrows. "_Now_, could you answer my question Miss Montgomery?"

Miranda looked at him without any indication to how she felt.

"Michael Cambias."

There was a murmur amongst the people in the courtroom. Judge Donahue called the room to order and then looked at Damien Ward with curiosity. _Where is he going with this?_ He thought.

"And Bianca Montgomery is your mother, correct?"

"Yes."

"Seems odd to me that someone who, as this case describes as a victim, could have sexual relations with such a monster."

"Wow. You _really_ must not be from around here." Miranda said.

"Why's that?"

"Because if you had done _any_ research on, as you titled her, the _victim_ of this case, then you'd know that my mother was forced into sexual relations with Michael Cambias."

"As in-"

"As in he _raped_ her, Mr. Ward."

He looked around as if he expected a reaction from his audience…like he was giving some grand performance. Unfortunately for his ego, he was met with silence.

"And she got pregnant with you because of it?"

"Yes."

"And she kept you?"

"As in she didn't abort the pregnancy or give me up for adoption? Because, as you can see, the answer to either of those options is no."

Bianca couldn't take the way Damien was treating Miranda, but nothing could be done without her being thrown out of the courtroom. She squeezed Marissa's hand in her own. The redhead simply raised her wife's hand to her lips and placed a comforting and tender kiss in the palm of it. Bianca leaned forward and rested her head on Marissa's shoulder, wanting all the comfort her wife could offer and silently feeling guilty that she couldn't be stronger for Marissa. The redhead, on the other, could sense the uneasiness in Bianca and was thankful that the brunette needed her. Truth be told, Marissa needed her wife as well and the fact that she sought comfort in her, that alone was comfort enough for the redhead.

"So she's a masochist then?"

"Objection, Your Honour! Mr. Ward is obviously headed no where with this line of questioning other than the fact-"

"N-no! It's okay, Uncle Jack. I got this…" Miranda turned her attention back to Damien Ward. He clearly believed he had the young lady beaten and that her weakness, her mother, was exposed. "…No, she's not a masochist, Mr. Ward. But rather, she's simply someone who is compassionate and _understands_ what it means to love yourself. Yes, she could have aborted me or given me up for adoption, but she chose not to. She, somehow, loved me because she realized that a child does _not_ pay for the sins of the parent. She saw that there was good in what happened to her and she told me that I was the good that came from it. I was that light in the darkness she found herself in. You know that saying 'love yourself'? Well, my mom, brave and amazing woman she is, found that love in me because I was a part of her and the part of her that she didn't like, the part that reminded her of what happened to her, she learned to love it because it gave her me. I understand that you're trying to get a rise out of me. My other mother is a lawyer. I know your strategy, but you fail to realize that it's just not going to work with me." Miranda stated softly and genuinely. "I don't have anything of my father. Maybe some of his anger, which I'm sure is what you're trying to demonstrate, but it takes _a lot_ to get me to that point."

Counselor Ward looked defeated. He stared at Miranda like she was someone who would be the one person to be his downfall, but he refused to let that happen.

_I'm not going to let this bastard child be the end of my streak. Strap yourself in kid, you're in for a bumpy ride._

Jack was borderline frustrated. He didn't know how Judge Donahue could let Ward pursue this line of questioning. It was completely unethical, immoral and uncalled for.

_This is insanity,_ Jack thought.

"Are you done yet, Mr. Ward?" The Judge asked when he saw the look on Damien's face. He had been chewing his bottom lip for the last 10 seconds without a single word coming from his mouth.

"No, Your Honour… I'm not."

"Then continue please. This day is already beginning to get long and it's only a few minutes before 10:30."

"Yes, Your Honour."

Ward turned to Miranda and walked towards her, slowly, as if he were a predator getting ready to pounce.

"Miss Montgomery, you say that you didn't give up the locket to the police department until _after_ you found your mother, is that correct?"

"Yes Sir."

"Why is that? Why not turn it in the moment you found the necklace?"

"Because the Police Department had declared my mother dead without any sufficient evidence of that conclusion. They didn't even have a body."

"Then why not give it to someone you could trust. Like Officer Brot Monroe?"

"Because doing that would be the equivalent of giving it to the Chief at the time. Officer Monroe would have had to notify his higher ups and eventually to the Chief who would've either ignored or disposed of the evidence."

"And what makes you so certain about that?"

"Because the Chief of Police at the time was the one who closed the case without any just cause. He didn't do his job when he knew who it was who kidnapped my mother, _why_ would he open the case again?"

"That's quite the accusation you're making."

"Not an accusation. It's the truth."

"Do you have any proof of that?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

"I thought so." Damien said with a smirk. "Now, Miss Montgomery. You said that you had gone into the pool house where Ms. Hendersen was staying, correct?"

"Yes."

"Why would you go in there in the first place?"

"Because I overheard her speaking to a hospital about a bill that she felt she was being overcharged for tests and services."

"And that's cause for you invading her privacy."

"Well-"

"That wasn't a question… Why would that make you want to snoop around?"

"The bill charges were for a broken fibula and x-rays on her ribs which turned out to be bruised."

"Why is that relevant?"

"Because my mother had defended herself against one of her captors and she whacked their leg and their ribs."

"So obviously, it _must_ be Ms. Hendersen who did it then, right?"

"No, but it was enough to spark my curiosity."

"Of course. Now you say while you were looking around, you found a box taped underneath my client's bed?"

"Yes. It fell when I sat on the bed."

"And you found the gloves and your mother's rings in there?"

"Yes."

"Interesting. And you went directly to the police after that?"

"Yes, I did."

"Odd to me because you didn't go to the police with evidence the first time and this time around you couldn't wait to bring the evidence to them…unless, of course, it _wasn't_ evidence. Perhaps _you_ were the one who planted those gloves and the rings in Ms. Hendersen's room."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you hate her and are willing to do anything to put her in jail." Miranda scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Oh, come now, Miss Montgomery." Ward said as he moved to his station in the room and picked up a file. "Did you not tell my client about two weeks ago when you went to visit her in prison '_you're insane to believe that… I'm not even a professional therapist and I know that much. You're right where you belong and I will spend the rest of my life making sure that you stay here'_?"

Miranda dropped her head and took a deep breath.

"Yes, I _did_ say that, but that doesn't mean that-"

"That's all the questions I have Your Honour."

Miranda bit her lip to keep herself from yelling at Damien Ward out of anger and malignity. She did not like the lawyer one bit, but at the risk of completely contradicting herself from her earlier testimony about her mother and how she was nothing like her biological father, Miranda held her tongue. She bit it to keep herself from screaming and when the judge told her to step down, her jaw clenched. As she passed Damien and Tammy, she stared them down and when their smirks caught her eye, she sent an equally as spiteful smirk in their direction, which confused the two of them.

When she got to her spot between Marissa and Bianca, she wasn't met with the questioning glances like she expected, but rather two looks of concern. Bianca wrapped her arms around her daughter as she whispered "Are you okay?" into her ear. Miranda simply nodded and accepted the kiss to her temple from Marissa. Jack's voice brought the three of them out of their cloud of worry.

"Your Honour, as my next witness, I'd like to call upon Marissa Tasker."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Short chapter but to include everything else would've been too long. Hope you enjoyed!

LOTSA LOVE!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	41. Word

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Miranda's POV**

You know that feeling you get when you can't help but feel that things aren't going to go your way? It's innate and you can't shake it off. And the funny thing is that it's nothing complex that occurs when the universe comes up from behind and whispers into your ear 'you were right.' It's always the smallest thing, isn't it? A word, a smile, the smallest gesture…a word! Sometimes a simple 'yes' or 'no' is _all_ that it takes to make a moment go from bad to worse. Sometimes, we just want to break ties with something or someone so those nightmares that we've been having for the last three and a half years can be over and done with. But life doesn't work out that way.

No.

It's _much_ more of a bitch!

_I watch the rain fall clean from the heavens  
>As the skies part open, I search for a sign<br>Collecting dust in lines on the pavement  
>In this sweet surrender<br>Running out of time_

I Don't Mind If You Don't Mind – Ron Pope

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa looked to her daughter and wife as she heard her name being called. Miranda had rested her head on Bianca's shoulder, but as she heard her mother's name being called, she raised it and watched as her two mother's hands had slowly released themselves from the other. Miranda gave Marissa a small smirk and a wink before the redhead walked away from her seat.

The thumping in her heart was a little quicker than normal, but steady. She made sure that she didn't come off as nervous or fidgety, knowing _very_ well what that might mean when she would be cross-examined. However, she was a little on the anxious side. She wasn't used to being on the stand being questioned. Normally, _she_ was the one asking the questions. Yes, this was very awkward for her, but she sucked it up. She cleared her mind of any fears or worries once she voiced her agreement to tell the truth. Once she settled into the uncomfortable chair on the stand, Jack stood from his spot at his station and placed his hands in his pockets.

"Mrs. Tasker, could you tell the court what it is you do for a living?"

"I'm a Family Lawyer."

"And is that how you met the defendant?" Jackson asked as he gestured to Tammy. Marissa followed his hand and when her eyes landed on the blonde, she felt her stomach churn in disgust due to the smirk she wore.

"Yes. She had come to me for help with her divorce case. She felt she deserved more in the settlement."

"And you won her case?"

"Yes, after her ex-husband tried to keep even more from her."

"During this time, did the two of you become close?"

"'Close'?"

"Yes, as in a friendship formed?"

"No. Actually, it wasn't until _after_ Bianca was kidnapped that I saw her again."

"And how long after her divorce was settled and finalized was that?"

"About 10 months."

"Which is around the same time as Mrs. Montgomery's disappearance?"

"Yes." Marissa simply stated.

"And how did that happen? Was it a random event or did she find you?"

"She had come to my office. She said she had some final papers to pick up for her personal files."

"And was that true?"

"Yes, it was. We had been trying to contact her for a while."

"And your firm was unable to?"

"That's correct."

"And what excuse did the defendant give for being unattainable?"

Marissa didn't hesitate to answer the question.

"She said she had been busy planning her life and rarely took phone calls to keep her from being focused."

Jackson lifted a sheet of paper off of an open manila file on his table and looked at Marissa.

"Mrs. Tasker, it says here that Ms. Hendersen had to reschedule a meeting with you for her court date for her divorce because she was out of town."

"Yes, she had to go away for business."

"Did the defendant confide in you what she did for a living?"

She kept calm, but didn't smile.

"She had told me that she was a columnist for a fashion magazine and was headed to Paris for Fashion Week."

"And what year was that?"

"…2017."

"Thank you Mrs. Tasker for clearing that up."

Marissa nodded to Jackson.

"Now, let's fast forward a bit. By the time your wife was declared deceased by the Pine Valley Police Department, how long were you and Miss Hendersen considered 'friends'?"

"About 4 months."

"And she wasn't living with you at that time?"

"No, she wasn't. It wasn't until a year _after_ Bianca's supposed funeral that I had even considered the idea."

"I see. And how long after said funeral did she move into the pool house of your home?"

"About a year and three months."

"Did the defendant seem at all…out of the ordinary? Was she possessive, demonstrate any form of behaviour that could categorize her as needing any form of professional psychiatric or psychological help?"

"None at all. She seemed very caring and sweet; level headed and determined to get her life back on track."

"'Her life back on track'? Could you explain that?"

"She had been fired from her previous job and hadn't been able to pay any of her bills and was eventually evicted. So I offered her the pool house and helped her find another job."

"Which she did?" Jack asked to clarify.

"Yes. I had a client who's an editor and was in need of a writer for her magazine, which happened to be right up Ms. Hendersen's ally. It was essentially the same job she had, just double the amount of income."

"Now, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your wife's disappearance, if that's okay with you?"

Marissa nodded.

"Of course."

"Can you recall that day?"

Marissa looked away from Jack to Bianca who was gazing at her through a worried expression. She hadn't seen Bianca give her that look in a long time. It was a mixture of fear, worry and yet, she looked enamoured. Bianca had never asked Marissa about the events following her abduction and that fact had hit her like a ton of bricks. She suddenly felt like an egotist. She felt guilty for not considering how Marissa had dealt with everything; how all of this had affected her. With the intense feeling growing inside her chest, Bianca could think of nothing to do as Marissa gazed so intensely at her except mouth 'I love you'.

Marissa sighed and regarded her wife with a loving glance.

"As if it were yesterday. I had come home from work and found a voicemail on my cell phone. Bianca liked to visit her grandmother's grave and she had left me a voicemail that she would be home a little later than usual because she was headed to the cemetery."

"And she didn't come home that night?"

"No…she didn't."

"Did you notify the police right away?"

"After a couple of hours, yes."

"And what did they tell you?"

"The same thing they would tell everyone else, to wait 48 hours to file a Missing Persons Report."

"Which you did?"

"Of course."

"Mrs. Tasker, could you address the Court as to how many weeks it was until you were notified byt the police department to come in and give a statement?"

"Almost three weeks."

"And who questioned you?"

"The Chief of Police himself, at the time, Robert Collins."

"Was this the first time you had met Mr. Collins?"

"No. It was, maybe, the seventh or eighth time."

"Why so many times?"

"Robert Collins is Ms. Hendersen's ex-husband… I had met him through negotiations with his lawyer and in his divorce case with the defendant."

Another round of murmurs had sounded throughout the room and Jack gave a satisfied look to Marissa who knew _exactly_ what he was up to. She knew that his battle was far from over, but rather end his line of question at that point for the moment. As the Judge called his Court Room to order, Jackson was able to nod and managed to voice that he no longer had any questions for the time being. He returned to his seat and waited as Damien Ward did his worst.

The man stood and placed his hands on the table in front of him before looking at Marissa.

"Mrs. Tasker, you stated that you and Ms. Hendersen had become close _after_ your wife's abduction, correct?"

"Yes."

"…That seems odd." Ward stated. He stood up straight, but kept to his position in front of his seat as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "When your wife has disappeared, you immediately sought comfort in another woman, who just so happened to have been a former client. You invited her into your home, into the lives your children…"

Marissa didn't know if Damien was expecting some sort of outburst from her or if he expected her to interrupt him, but she one thing was for sure and certain.

She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

When Marissa said nothing, he continued.

"We you having an affair, Mrs. Tasker?"

"No, Mr. Ward. I wasn't. Like I said, it wasn't until two months after my wife disappeared that I had even run into the defendant."

"But it _was_ you who asked her to meet you for coffee?"

"Yes."

"And it _was _you who asked her to move in with you?"

"Yes."

"And it was you who found a job for my client, correct?"

"Yes."

"And you did _all_ of that _simply_ because you two were friends?"

"Yes."

"With _no_ ulterior motive or expectations?"

"None." Marissa simply answered.

"So then _why_ does it seem to not only my client, but to me as well, that the relationship the two of you had seemed _a lot_ more than simply platonic."

"That's your own opinion and your client's. I never offered nor promised her anything more than friendship."

Damien Ward nodded.

"No more questions, your Honour."

The Judge nodded and silently thanked any higher power out there that this line of questioning didn't drag out as long as he thought it would. Donahue directed his attention to redhead as he addressed her.

"You may step down, Mrs. Tasker."

Marissa smirked at him and nodded, silently thanking him. She had barely stepped down when she heard Jackson's voice calling upon Bianca for her testimony. When the redhead returned to her seat, Bianca had been rising. Unable to keep to herself, the brunette pulled her wife in for a quick hug, which lasted longer than she had intended to let it. Bianca inhaled deeply, Marissa's scent infiltrating her and giving her the strength she was looking for. She could feel her wife pulling away reluctantly.

"Go get 'em," Marissa whispered as she let go Bianca knowing that the judge was impatient. Bianca nodded and headed for the stand, a sense of déjà vu coming over her.

_Moment of truth she thought_ as she said a clear 'I do' after being asked for a sworn statement of truth.

"Mrs. Montgomery," Jackson said with a genuine and gentle grin. "Where were you when you were kidnapped?"

"I was right in front of my grandmother's gravestone."

"And could describe to us what happened?"

"Well…" Bianca said before she sighed. "I was blinded by a hand and yanked backward. Then I was gagged to be kept from screaming and I felt someone or something choke me momentarily. Next thing I know, I've got a blindfold instead of hands over my eyes and I was lifted off the ground. I fought back as much as I could and they dropped me, but I couldn't move because they bounded my feet and then something blunt hit my head and I passed out."

"And where did you wake up?"

"I don't know _where_ exactly, but it was a warehouse."

"Was there anyone there with you when you woke up?"

"Yes, there were four people there. Two were silent, but the other two? One was trying to make sure I was okay and the other just thought they should kick me awake."

"And did you stay there the entire time?"

"No. They moved me from place to place. Some places were the same."

"And did they keep your hands and feet bound the whole time?"

"No, they didn't. It wasn't until I…'attacked' one of them that they did that."

"You attacked one?"

"Yes. It was someone the others called 'Boss'. I didn't know where I was and I was hurt really badly…" Bianca began to choke to keep her composure and a few tears in check. She could hear the soft guffaw coming from the other attorney in the room even though he thought it would go unnoticed and at his antic, she took a deep breath. Jack looked at his niece, wishing he didn't have to put her through this, but it had to be done so all of this could be over and done with. "I was being abused by them and I'd had enough so I decided to fight back. I grabbed what felt like a pipe, it was behind me, and I got two shots in; one to the ribs and another to the leg. After that incident, they decided to keep me bound and gagged. I had all of a sudden become too much to handle."

Jackson nodded in understanding and crossed his hands. He placed them in front of him before he asked his next question.

"And…how many of these attempts had there been before that point?"

"None."

"And after?"

"None. I hadn't attempted to do anything after that. I became too weak to do anything and had found some way to get through the pain of their abuse."

"And how did you do that?"

"I…would think of my wife."

"And could you tell us what exactly they used to do to you?" Jack noticed the pale complexion that fell onto Bianca's face, "Take your time, Bianca." He said gently.

The brunette clasped her hands together to point where they had turned white. She was being told to relive three of the worst years of her life. It was a never-ending nightmare for her and the only thing she wanted was for all of it to be over. _I shouldn't be here_, she thought. _I should be at home with Miranda and AJ, Gabby and the twins…and Marissa…with Marissa. I should be holding her in my arms and never wanting to let her go. I should be at home…in our home, reading the kids bedtime stories and kissing them good night, under the covers with Marissa, talking to her about her day…among __**other**__ things… No, I shouldn't be here._

_But I am here._

"Th…" Bianca closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. "They'd hold me down…a-and beat me. Kicking me in the ribs was common. They enjoyed watching me squirm under their grasp. To them, it showed I was weak…and there was nothing I could do about it. I had fractured my wrist a couple of times and in the beginning, I had a misplaced shoulder and my leg was broken."

"What else?"

"I had been thrown across the room a few times a day and slapped across the face…even punched."

Jack nodded and picked up a few photographs off of his station and walked across the Court Room. He approached the bench and handed the photographs to Judge Donahue to be placed into evidence. He watched as the Judge winced at the sight of Bianca's face; the marks indicating the truth in her testimony.

"Your Honour, these photographs were taken after the witness was taken to the Miranda Centre following her rescue from the hellish ordeal she had been put through." Jack turned his attention to Bianca once more. "How many times was there an attempt to rescue you?"

"Two," Bianca simply stated.

"And the first time was unsuccessful, obviously."

"Yes, Miss Montgomery and a few former officers were unable to get me out in time."

"'Miss Montgomery'?"

"Yes. Miranda, my daughter, made the first attempt."

"And the second?"

"My sister, Kendall."

"And Kendall in her statement stated that when she saw you, you were, and I quote," Jackson said as he read off a sheet of paper. "'There was blood all over her shirt. I barely recognized her because of the large bruise on her face, and there were also multiple small ones all over her arms'… You were taken to the Miranda Centre immediately after Kendall came for you?"

"Yes."

"Those are all the questions I have at this time, Your Honour."

Damien Ward only looked in Jackson's direction too eagerly. The gleam in his eye was one of hunger and Bianca recognized it.

_What's he up to?_ Jackson thought.

"Mrs. Montgomery, do you recall the day my client was asked to leave your home?" Damien asked as he rose from his chair and made his way around the table. He began a slow pace in Bianca's direction.

"Yes, I do."

Ward stopped in front of Judge Donahue's bench.

"Why did Mrs. Tasker kick Ms. Hendersen out of your home?"

"Because Marissa felt that Ms. Hendersen had betrayed her."

"'Betrayed her'? In what sense?"

"Ms. Hendersen had informed me that Miranda was the illegitimate love child of Michael Cambias and myself."

"Which you had denied?"

"No. I was merely in shock."

Ward scrunched his eyebrows in mock confusion.

"In shock? Why's that?"

Bianca began to get nervous. She had a feeling where Damien Ward was taking this line of questioning and she wished she had noticed it sooner. However, a large part of her knew that it was inevitable, so she went along with it, knowing that everything _had_ to work out in the end… She had to trust that because, if she didn't, her hope and faith in justice and karma would be lost.

"Because I hadn't been aware that Miranda was my daughter at the time."

"Now, I'm confused. I thought you said that your daughter had come to rescue you and that while you were being held hostage, you were beaten and would dream of your wife during that time… How does this part of your testimony fit in with that because I can't see the pieces fitting together?"

Bianca paused and looked at Ward with a hard look. The grin on his face was becoming bigger and bigger and, in Bianca's view, more and more obnoxious.

"When I woke up in the warehouse the first time after I was kidnapped, the last thing I could remember was being raped by Michael Cambias… Anything that had happened to me after that in my life was a complete blank."

"…In other words, you had retrograde amnesia?"

"…Yes."

Damien Ward nodded and turned to the Judge.

"Your Honour, in light of Ms. Montgomery's testimony to having amnesia, I move that the evidence she offered be abstained from the record because it is unreliable and prone to bias."

_There it is,_ Jackson thought.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

FINALLY I updated! Sorry for the long wait. Opportunities to write have been slim between work and work and work and a wedding and relatives from out of town arriving and friends from different countries visiting.

BUT I DID IT!

Please review!

Lots of love!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	42. 23

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Marissa's POV**

It was my turn to decide

I knew this was our time

No one else will have me like you do

No one else will have me, only you

You'll sit alone forever

If you wait for the right time

What are you hoping for?

I'm here and now I'm ready

Holding on tight

Don't give away the end

The one thing that stays mine

Amazing still it seems

I'll be 23

I won't always love what I'll never have

I won't always live in my regrets

_23, Jimmy Eat World_

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

_There's no way he just said that_, Marissa thought as she heard the echoes of Tammy's defense attorney fill the courtroom. The entire place had gone off in a bustle of mutters wondering what would happen next. The suspense was palpable and tensions were rising.

Damien Ward was getting the exact response he was hoping for.

"Order! Order!" Judge Donahue spoke, his voice with a hint of superiority.

Once the room had calmed down Marissa's mind was racing. The entire time, she couldn't manage to tear her gaze away from Bianca who looked as if she let out a big secret that no one knew about. Her head had dropped, almost as if she were ashamed of the revelation. It took everything within the redhead to not burst out of her seat like a pressurized bottle and go to the nerve-wracked brunette that she was in love with.

_C'mon Donahue, be smart about this. She doesn't deserve this shit._

"Your Honour I object to Mr. Ward's movement."

"And why is that Mr. Montgomery?" Damien said as he turned to Jackson. "Because it's devastating to your case?"

"Knock it off Counselor," the Judge warned. Damien remained silent and let Donahue continue. "Now, Mr. Montgomery, do you have any witnesses who will testify for Ms. Montgomery's testimony?"

Jack regarded Damien in frustration. The young lawyer had a reputation and one that definitely didn't describe him at all. He had yet to lose a case, something that Jack loved because it made the young lawyer cocky and a very easy target for the experienced, older lawyer.

"As a matter of fact, Your Honour, I do. It's Ms. Montgomery's doctor himself. I can have him here first thing tomorrow."

Judge Donahue smirked slightly and turned to Damien Ward.

"In that case I shall recess this case until noon tomorrow. Any objections to that Mr. Ward?" The Judge asked, a daring tone in his voice as if to challenge Ward. The young lawyer could hear the mocking tone in his superior's voice and knew that this would be only too easy to discredit his opposition.

"No, no objections, Your Honour."

The judge smiled.

"Good. Court will reconvene tomorrow at noon, 12:00 PM sharp. We're adjourned." With the pound of the gavel Tammy was taken back to her cell and held a stare at Bianca the entire time. Her lips were pursed as she gazed at the brunette with malice and jealousy.

Among the bustle of the courtroom, once Marissa has heard the all too familiar sound of the judge's gavel, she rose to her seat as quickly as she could. She went against the common direction that everyone in the room had followed in. The redhead pushed passed the traffic of people to get to her anxious wife.

The brunette had just stepped off of the stand after getting the stare down from the once vicious blonde. As Bianca tore her gaze from Tammy, she felt something or someone, rather, crash into her and envelop themselves urgently around her. Taking in the other's scent, Bianca felt the all too familiar twirl of multiple butterflies beginning to invade her gut. Her pulse raced but she felt calm in her embrace.

"Are you okay?" Marissa asked as she pulled away from the brunette.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? At the end there you looked like-"

"I know and I was. But right now? I just want to go home."

"That's a good idea," Jack said. He had walked over to the two of them. "You need some rest Bianca and I have to go and speak with Dr. Castillo. So, my advice to you two is to take the rest of the day off and spend some time together and relax because this whole case is about to get ugly, especially with the way Mr. Ward plays." Jack stated calmly.

"Oh!" Marissa exclaimed. "Don't even get me started on that scumbag."

"You ought to watch your language Miss Tasker." Damien Ward had appeared behind the three of them wearing his infamous smirk of smug. "Can't have you going around and spreading stuff that would hinder my rep now, can't I? You forgot about my 100% success streak."

Bianca felt Marissa about to advance on the young lawyer, but immediately grabbed her hand to keep her calm.

"Your streak is gonna end Ward," the redhead spat.

"Oooh I highly doubt that Miss Tasker-"

"Montgomery-Tasker. And it's Mrs."

"Whatever," Damien smirked. "You all are treading in deep waters and are about to drown. You forget that the defense has yet to make its case and I know how to push each and every one of those tiny buttons that get under your wife's beautiful skin-"

"You leave Bianca out of this-"

"Can't do that Tasker, she's the key witness. I bring her down, your uncle's case falls to shit. And trust me, MRS. Tasker...I'm gonna bring her down."

With a nod to Bianca and a final smirk to Marissa, Ward left the three of them wanting nothing more than to pulverize him.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

The ride back to Kendall's house had been silent between the two women. Marissa couldn't understand why, all of a sudden, there was such a tangible tension between her and Bianca. She didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit. There was fear and worry in the brunette's eyes that the redhead could see and couldn't ignore it. She found that every time she brought it up, Bianca would shut her out.

What can I do? Marissa thought in frustration.

Without realizing it, she had pulled up in front of the Slater residence and had barely put the car in park before Bianca shot out of her seat and headed towards the door of the house.

"Bianca wait!" Marissa shouted as she chased after the brunette.

But she didn't stop. Bianca ran, passed the entrance and went straight to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. When the redhead got to her destination, Bianca was just closing the door. Marissa heard the lock clicking and sighed as she leaned her head against the wooden barrier between her and her wife.

"Bianca? Sweetie, please. Talk to me."

She was met with silence.

"Baby, please. I can't help you through this if you don't let me in. Please."

Silence.

Marissa blew out an exasperated breath.

"You can't beat yourself up like this. Please. Let me in. Don't shut me out... Literally." She said as she realized how ironic her statement was.

Marissa stood in the doorway for several minutes. She pressed her ear to the closed door and tried to listen for anything; movement, a breath, anything. After a few moments, the redhead could hear the faint sniffles of the one she loved that she knew was certainly accompanying tears.

"Bianca?!" Marissa exclaimed. "Open the door. Please! Don't do this to yourself...or to me! You know I can't stand you being like this 'cause it hurts us both. Please!"

The redhead let out a sigh and rested a hand on the door as tears of her own began to well up in her eyes.

"Please," she whispered. "I love you... Let me in."

She didn't know what it was that she said, but within second of her plea, Bianca had unlocked and opened the door to find Marissa waiting for her on the other side.

The redhead saw the bloodshot stains covering her love's big brown eyes.

"No. Don't." Marissa whispered as she moved forward and cupped Bianca's face before placing a tender kiss on her forehead. The brunette couldn't help it. She threw her arms around her redhead and squeezed tightly. Bianca turned her head slightly and her nose grazed Marissa's cheek as she sniffled.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Marissa scrunched her eyebrows. She tried to pull away from Bianca to look at her, but the brunette made it difficult for the redhead to move from the position she was in. Bianca wanted to remain as they were and Marissa allowed it. When she realized that she wouldn't be able to look at her wife, Marissa simply voiced her concern.

"Sorry? Sorry about what?" She asked.

"For screwing the case up-"

"Don't! Don't you _dare_ blame yourself. It was bound to come up Baby." Marissa reasoned. "This isn't your fault."

"Yes. It is. If I could just remember everything then-"

"Then Damien Ward would've found another way to exploit you. He's the defense attorney. That's the only thing he's got. He knows he fighting a losing battle so he's using what he sees as weaknesses as a way to tear you down." Marissa paused momentarily. She felt Bianca's iron hold on her soften and she was able to finally pull away from her wife to look upon her damp face. She brought her hands to Bianca's cheeks to wipe away the tears that had fallen and landed on them. "But what that moron fails to realize is that what he sees as weakness, is your greatest strength."

Bianca scoffed.

"Oh really? And what's that?"

"Your ability to surprise people. Baby, you have this quiet strength that people think they can take advantage of. But you don't let them! And when they push, you push back double the amount and it shocks the hell out of them. And you know something?"

"What?"

"It's one of the reasons why there is no such thing as 'falling out of love with you'. It's too difficult to not love you."

Bianca regarded Marissa in a way that showed the redhead she was a little insane. It made Marissa chuckle and almost weak in the knees. Suddenly, she noticed a change in Bianca's gaze; from a question of her sanity to one of pure love and lust. The feeling of weakness plunged further into Marissa's body as she felt the all too familiar jolt of excitement fill her. And before she could do anything, Bianca quickly leaned forward and crashed her lips into Marissa's.

The force of Bianca's kiss was welcoming to Marissa. She heard her wife moan in desire and she realized the extent of it when she felt the brunette pulling her closer. Bianca's hands had drifted downward, moving from their position on her waist to her hips as they caressed every inch of her before they reached their destination. Marissa could sense the hunger in Bianca's embrace as she further pressed her body into the redhead; wanting more than Marissa thought she could give in the moment. The brunette leaned forward even more as she sucked on her wife's upper lip before shifting down to her bottom one. She gently bit and licked it before giving it another nibble.

"You've ruined me," Bianca managed to say as she pulled away, only momentarily, from Marissa's mouth. "You know that?" she asked before she continued her assault on Marissa's mouth. Bianca trailed her kisses from the redhead's lips and moved her own down her wife's chin and up her jaw to her neck as she sucked on a knowingly sensitive area, Marissa closed her eyes as she tried to form a coherent thought.

"You aren't...e-exactly...innocent either..."

Bianca stopped kissing Marissa to look at her.

"What do you mean?"

Marissa smiled before she brought her hands up to cup Bianca's face.

"I used to dream you here with me for the past three years. I'd have these hallucinations that I could feel you with me. It was the _only_ way I could make it through the day-"

"I'm so sorr-"

"Shh. Don't," Marissa interrupted Bianca. "I'm not. At least you're here with me now and that's all I want… _You_ are all I want."

The gleam in Bianca's eyes had increased as Marissa stared upon them. The noticeably brown orbs had a glow and shimmer in them that told the redhead exactly what Bianca was thinking. And if that didn't do the trick, then the contented sigh that escaped her wife's lips certainly did.

"I want you too," Bianca whispered as she tore her gaze from Marissa's eyes to her mouth. "God, how I want you." She whispered forcefully before returning to her previous position of ravishing her wife's mouth with a kiss that had left her breathless before it even began.

As much as the flush in Marissa's stomach left her wanting nothing more than what she knew Bianca was begging her for, the redhead couldn't help but feel that this was happening at the wrong moment in time. She felt as if she were still taking advantage of Bianca regardless of the amount of memories her wife had regained. There were still the two memories that the brunette had been torturing herself over with discovering.

She wanted to.

She truly did.

It was all she could dream of these past three years.

Being with Bianca once again.

Holding her.

Wanting her.

Needing her.

Loving her.

But right now, she couldn't bring herself to step up to give Bianca what she wanted because it wasn't what she needed.

"W-wait." Marissa muttered against Bianca's lips. "W-we can't." She said, at which Bianca stopped abruptly.

"Wh-why not?" Bianca asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Because…it's not what you need right now. You…you're upset and I feel like I'd be taking advantage of you-"

"Taking advantage of me? What am I 8? I'm a mature adult and I'm your _wife_, by the way and-"

"And you're upset because you think you tanked the one shot we had at putting Tammy away for good."

"Well, I _did_ tank it!"

"No! You didn't! I've told you this already a million times within the last hour! Damien Ward is a _scumbag_, Bianca. He'll do _anything_ to win this case and that's going to involve trying to bring you down… You carry the weight of all of this on your shoulders and that's what Ward wants. He wants to make you look like a failure and if you let this get to you then he's going to get what he wants!"

Bianca looked to the floor between them. She knew Marissa was right.

_She's always right._

But she couldn't bring herself to believe her. She felt a little disoriented and as she brought her stare to her surroundings she sighed.

"Bianca…about…_us_? I want to. Believe me, I do."

"I know-"

"It's just…it's not the right time."

Bianca scoffed.

"If you wait for the right time, we're gonna be like this forever… What are you waiting for Marissa?" Bianca whispered.

"…For all of this to be over. Tammy. Living with your sister."

"But our stuff isn't even here anymore. Remember a couple of weeks ago?"

Marissa smiled at Bianca.

Yes, she remembered. How could she forget? The two of them had half of their relatives go with them at the fear of running into the same situation all over again.

Marissa had received a phone call from their contractor stating that their house had been finished and completed. The electric had been finished as well as the plumbing. Their home was ready to be lived in, but the two of them had decided to take their time moving back in, and Kendall saw to it that they did, in fact, do things slowly. At the time, the trial had yet to begin and it had taken months of preparation and stress. The curly-haired Kane sister had refused to let Bianca and Marissa have the added stress of moving back to their home so soon after the trauma that the two of them had endured.

And they agreed.

They were thankful that Kendall, and even Zach, had understood their predicament. However, it didn't keep the couple from moving their things back into their home.

"Of course I do…" Marissa looked at Bianca with a smirk. _What she wants versus what she needs_ Marissa thought."You wanna go see our house?" Marissa asked.

Bianca nodded.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

The ride was long. It had begun to rain and from a light drizzle, it began to pour. Marissa had to slow down significantly so she could see through the quick movements of the windshield wipers as they attempted to remove the pelting water drops as quickly as possible. As they pulled up to the house, Marissa felt Bianca's hand grab for hers. She smiled at the gesture. Marissa killed the engine and reached into her purse for the keys.

But something was off, still.

Even though Bianca had cheered up significantly from their bumpy return to Kendall and Zach's from the courthouse, something was still amiss. Bianca was still a little distant and Marissa decided not to push it.

_If something else is bothering her… I mean __**obviously**__ something else is bothering her, but if something else is bothering her then she'll tell me… Somehow…_

"We're home." Marissa voiced softly. Bianca smirked and nodded. She exited the car and headed for the front door, but not before Marissa could catch up with her. The redhead had her hand outstretched so Bianca could grab a hold of it.

And she did.

They raced to the entrance of their house as fast as they could to avoid being drenched from the rain…unsuccessfully.

They entered their house and Bianca looked around as Marissa closed the door behind them. She could still smell the fresh paint and the sheets that had yet to be ruffled up from sleep. She shivered and gazed off to the untouched stairwell that looked as if it hadn't been through a fire. Everything looked exactly the way it had been. But something felt different about it. The memories were still there.

_But __**clearly**__ not all of them…_

Marissa could sense the conflict in Bianca and walked over to her. She placed her hands on her wife's shoulders and caressed her arms before wrapping her own around Bianca's form.

"I know," Marissa whispered as she placed a soft kiss on the base of Bianca's neck. The two of them stood in the main entrance simply looking at their house, soaked from the downpour outside. The water droplets that had stuck to Bianca's skin had transferred to her lips and her forehead. The redhead brought her hands up to Bianca's arms and caressed them softly. She felt Bianca shiver through her touch. "C'mon," she said softly. "Let's get you warmed up."

Bianca turned around and gave Marissa a loving smirk before she nodded and watched her wife walk off to the family room.

'_So, you've seriously never been on a rollercoaster before?'_

Bianca heard the familiar voice in her head. The same phrase had been haunting her for nearly a month and she couldn't handle it. She didn't know where it had come from and couldn't bring herself to hope that perhaps it could be from one of the two memories that were blocked.

But she couldn't accept that as an option.

But then again, she didn't want to think that there could be a third memory that she couldn't remember.

'_So, you've seriously never been on a rollercoaster before?'_

'_It's not that I've never been…'_

'_So, you've seriously never been on a rollercoaster before?'_

It was like a broken record.

"Hey you."

Bianca was brought out of her repetitive torture when she heard her redhead's voice.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Marissa had walked into the family and noticed a set of logs ready to be burned. She looked over her shoulder and watched Bianca momentarily as she looked over their new entrance hall. Smiling, Marissa bit her bottom lip and turned her attention back to the task at hand. She removed the protective gate from in front of the fireplace and loaded some wood properly. She bent down and grabbed a piece of newspaper. She grabbed the box of matches from the same area the newspaper was piled and struck it on the box. Before she brought the flame to it, Marissa noticed the headline on it.

**MONTGOMERY-TASKER FIRE RULED ARSON**

_Of course I had to be reminded,_ Marissa thought.

She could hear her own voice in her head.

_"AND WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU UNTIL NOW?"_

_"Bianca! Bianca c'mon!"_

_"Bianca! Please! C'mon!" _

_"Baby! C'mon!" _

_"Please! …BIANCA! PLEASE!"_

"One of the worst nights of my life." Marissa whispered to herself. She brought the still burning match to the paper and tossed it onto the firewood. The redhead stared into the fireplace as the flames began to eat away at the wood. Her thoughts were then consumed by a different voice.

'_If you wait for the right time, we're gonna be like this forever… What are you waiting for Marissa?'_

"What _am_ I waiting for?" Marissa said to herself and got up to get Bianca.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"Hey," Bianca said, barely audible and thankful for the interruption.

"C'mon," Marissa said as she nodded in the direction of the fire that had begun to roar. She walked over to Bianca and reached for her hand, which the brunette willingly gave to her. Marissa brought it to her lips and led her to a spot in front of the fireplace. Bianca sat down and watched as Marissa fixed the fire. The redhead gazed over her shoulder and smirked at the look on her wife's face. She giggled silently and lay down. The two of them were silent in their positions and simply stared at one another.

Marissa smiled and patted her stomach.

"C'mon," she said.

"What?" Bianca asked with her eyes scrunched.

"Lie down."

Bianca ran her gaze over Marissa's body and took a deep breath to calm her heart, which had suddenly begun to race.

"Okay."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

It seemed like hours, but Marissa knew it had only been 20 minutes. Neither one of them had uttered a single word.

"You trying to make me fall asleep?" Bianca asked.

"What?" Marissa replied.

"You're tickling my forehead."

"Oh…" The redhead uttered. "Right, sorry." She apologized nearly forgetting that when Bianca had her forehead tickled, it put her to sleep. It relaxed her.

And just like that, they had fallen back into the silence that they had become familiar with for nearly half an hour. Marissa bit her lip and began to caress Bianca's forehead with her fingertips again.

"You're doing it again."

"Hmm?" She asked. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just-"

Bianca got up quickly and sat, turning to Marissa.

"What? What is it?"

A roar of thunder made itself known outside as the rain began to fall harder and harder.

"It just… It seems to me like you're still not okay."

"I'm fine about today-"

"No, not today."

"Then what?"

"Are those two memories still getting to you?" Marissa asked cautiously.

Bianca remained silent. She stared at Marissa before she tore her glare to the floor beneath them.

"They are, aren't they?" Marissa asked as she watched Bianca nod and sniffle. The tears had begun to form in her eyes. "Oh, Baby I'm so sorry."

'_So, you've seriously never been on a rollercoaster before?'_

_No, not again. Not now,_ Bianca thought as the voice came back to her. She brought her palms to her head to try to shut it out. There was no definition to those words and no recognizable voice.

Just an echo.

Marissa took Bianca's wrists in hers, trying to peel her hands away from her head.

"Bianca?" She whispered. She didn't get a response. Marissa sighed and brought her lips to Bianca's hands. She connected the two and tried to bring them down again. She was successful this time. "Would it help or make you feel better if I told you about them?"

"Uh…I…I dunno…"

"I can start and you can tell me to stop when it's too much." She waited for an affirmative sign from her wife. And when she saw the brunette nod slightly, Marissa began to speak.

"Well-"

"Wait!" Bianca said and grabbed onto Marissa's arm.

"What?"

"Don't…don't tell me anything."

"O-okay…"

Bianca sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry I just… Something…inside of me says that these two memories I can't remember are rather big."

Marissa nodded.

"Yeah, well a first date and a proposal are big moments."

"Yeah, but that's not why I feel that they're so big."

Marissa smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" Bianca asked confused.

Marissa chuckled.

"Because both memories are…rather special…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…our first date was full of firsts for you. It was different, or at least that's what you told me…"

"And the proposal?" Bianca asked earnestly.

Marissa smirked and took a deep breath.

"Our relationship started because of so many huge steps we had to take. You were the first to admit an attraction, but I was the one who asked you to be with me, to give me a chance. I planned the first date, brought up the, uh…first _time_ and I officially asked you to move in together, even though you were going to ask me regardless," Marissa quickly added when she saw that her wife was going to interrupt her. "Anyways… Up until that point, I was the one who had initiated all of the major steps in our relationship. That wasn't your fault. You wanted to make sure things were good for me and worked for me."

"'Cause I didn't wanna lose you." Bianca stated, knowingly.

"Yeah…that's what you told me. Anyways…couldn't have me taking _all_ of the big steps in our relationship, so you proposed. And good thing too because I was beginning to get restless. I was _dying_ to be with you."

At that moment, Marissa's stomach grumbled.

Bianca laughed.

"You're hungry."

"Yup. But I'm not driving in this weather to get food… Water will hold me over until the rain lets up." Marissa rose to her feet. "I'll be right back." She said, rising to her feet.

Bianca felt worse.

'_I was the one who had initiated all of the major steps in our relationship,'_ she had said. Bianca felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach.

_I have to remember._

Bianca examined the room. There were a few boxes lying around and a number of DVDs that had been salvaged in the fire. She crawled over to them and began to rummage through them, looking for _anything_ that could trigger her memory. This feeling was raw and familiar and she despised it.

The feeling of guilt.

The feeling of hatred consumed her.

She wanted those memories back!

"Bianca, what are you doing?" Marissa asked as she walked into her newly furnished family room only to find her wife rummaging through their things viciously.

"Nothing! Not. One. Damn. Thing! Nothing. I can't remember those-"

Marissa didn't need to hear anymore. She rushed to Bianca's side before the brunette could mutter another word.

"No! No, Babe, don't do that. C'mon let it go-"

"No. Riss! You don't get it! I can't remember it! And it's killing me! You told me it was the one BIG step that I took in our relationship and I can't bloody remember it! How can I not remember proposing to you?"

"'I don't get it'? Seriously? You don't think I know how frustrating it is? What about all those months I stood by watching you with Maggie? Or when you refused to come near me? OR when I couldn't tell you who I really was to you because you had to remember it on your own? Don't come and talk to me about frustration!"

Tears had welled up in Bianca's eyes. It had been so out of character for Marissa to be so upset with her.

At the look Bianca had flashed to her, Marissa immediately regretted her outburst.

"...Oh God, Bianca, I'm sorry." she whispered as she moved closer to her. "It's just... I just-"

"No. Don't." Bianca said before she fell silent and moved past Marissa.

"Where are you going?" the redhead asked as she chased after the brunette.

"I don't know. I-I need to think."

"About what? Bianca, it's crazy out there!" As she saw Bianca rush towards the front door, Marissa chased after her.

Bianca was quick.

She quickly put her shoes on and ran outside into the pouring and cold rain.

Marissa didn't bother with her shoes. She just wanted to get to her wife and bring her back inside.

"Bianca!" But she only kept running. "BIANCA!" She screamed.

The brunette stopped. She had reached the midpoint of the driveway. Marissa's desperate cry for her had stopped her body entirely and uncontrollably. She turned around and gazed her wife with difficulty through the hard-falling rain that blurred her vision. She could taste the water that touched her skin and lips. She breathed heavily.

"What?" Bianca asked, yelling through the noise of nature.

"Where are you going?" Marissa asked, equally as loud.

"I-I can't-"

"What? You can't what?" Marissa shouted again. She walked closer to Bianca.

"I can't think!"

"What do you have to think about?"

"I _have_ to remember those memories! I _need_ to remember those memories!"

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, I do!"

"No! What you _need_ is me!"

Marissa rushed forward and kissed Bianca fiercely.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Soooo I owe you all an explanation as to my absence.

Simply put – I have a wedding in the family that I'm a huge part of and have been dealing with that and have found little opportunity to write. In addition, I have family and friends here from out of town and have been entertaining them as well. I have been writing every chance I get and _**this**_is what I've written.

Hope you enjoyed.

Love you all!

o.o.O.O.o.o


	43. Kisses

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Bianca's POV**

There are hundreds of muscles in our bodies. Specific groups of muscles are used for every activity we do…even though we may not notice it!

It takes 49 muscles to cry…  
>15 to laugh…<br>12 to smile…  
>6 to slap someone or something…<br>13 to yell…  
>9 to ride a bike…<p>

And when you kiss someone?

It takes 34 muscles…

Incredible isn't it? We use the most amount of muscle in a single kiss, but is that in any kind of kiss?

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

"_This night is…perfect…"_

_The redhead lifted her head from its position on the grass below her to gaze upon the brunette's face._

"_R-really?" She asked._

_Bianca lifted herself up onto her elbows and smiled at Marissa's look of surprise._

"_Yes. Everything about it!"_

"_It was a night of firsts, wasn't it?"_

_Bianca nodded eagerly and childlike. She could still feel the adrenaline rush from coming off of the fast rides Marissa had taken her on earlier that evening._

The rain pounded harder and harder around the two of them and the cool droplets were a welcoming feeling in comparison to the fiery sensation that had overtaken her body as she felt Marissa's hands running through her drenched locks. The redhead had one hand slip from Bianca's head to cup her face and felt herself being walked backwards. Bianca's hands slid lower and lower on the sides of Marissa's waist and rested on her hips before letting them travel to rest behind the redhead. Her knuckles collided with the cool, damp metal of the car. She pressed her wife against the hood of the vehicle, thrusting her pelvis to crash into Marissa's as her lips continued their urgent caress across the redhead's. Marissa used any and all the force she could to pull Bianca closer to her, which caused her to fall backwards as Bianca pinned her to the hood of the car.

A clash of thunder sounded, which forced Bianca's head to be elsewhere…

"_So, you've seriously never been on a rollercoaster before?"_

"_It's not that I've never been," Bianca replied to Marissa question. "It's just that…"_

_Marissa raised her eyebrows and smirked from her position on the bench in the park._

"_Just that you've never been?"_

_Bianca chuckled and blushed a deep shade of red. She didn't want Marissa to know about her lack of childhood experiences._

"_It's okay, Bianca. You can tell me. I won't judge you."_

"_Oh, right, __**just**__ like you didn't judge me about preferring ice cream to chocolate cake?"_

"_I just __**don't**__ see how my girlfriend could prefer ice cream to chocolate cake!"_

_Bianca laughed at how Marissa's inner child surfaced with such a simple statement._

"_Did you have a childhood?" Marissa joked._

_Bianca's jaw dropped in a playful manner._

"_Of course, but with all the glitz and glammer of being Erica Kane's daughter, my childhood was more about going all over New York City with my mom and my father was a politician so there wasn't much time for things like amusement parks and stuff. That's __**not**__ to say that my parents didn't do their best to give me a normal childhood. My dad read me bedtime stories every night and I got all the toys I wanted. My mom would pamper me," Bianca watched as Marissa held a smile as she watched her speak. "It was all good." The brunette finished speaking and stared at the redhead before her. She wasn't blinking and those hazel eyes were __**very**__ focused on Bianca's face. They didn't move and the smirk on her face didn't falter either. "What?" Bianca asked._

_Marissa shrugged and shook her head._

"_I was just thinking."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_We haven't had our first date yet."_

"_This is true," Bianca nodded._

"_So…go on a date with me." Marissa said with an eager smile as her hand fell to her knees, leaning closer to Bianca. The brunette's smile grew wider and more innocent. There was a sparkle in her eye as she leaned closer to Marissa._

"_Okay," she whispered._

_Marissa chuckled and pecked Bianca's lips before she shot up from her seat._

"_Yay!" She said excitedly. "C'mon!" The redhead offered her hand to Bianca whose look of happiness changed to one of confusion._

"_What? Now?"_

"_No. But tonight, yes!"_

"_But, babysitters-"_

"_**Don't**__ you worry about that! I've got it covered, just like this date. All __**you**__ have to do is look phenomenal, like you always do, and dress comfortably. It's gonna be a long night for you Montgomery."_

There was a feeling or sense of desperation with every breath that Bianca seemed to take as far as Marissa could tell. The cool water droplets that fell around them seemed to fall faster and became louder. With every pound of a raindrop that voiced themselves around their heads brought more and more clarity between Bianca and Marissa as to what the other wanted and to where this evening was going.

Releasing their hold on Bianca's hair and face, Marissa hands moved down to her waist as they attempted to push the brunette away. Bianca accepted the challenge. The more she felt Marissa push her away, the more she thrust her hips forward to pin Marissa down. There would be no stopping her this time.

The brunette's arms had encompassed her wife's waist, putting as little distance as possible between the two of them. Leaving her waist, Bianca's fingertips lightly drabbled along the sides of Marissa's body, never leaving her form as they traveled further and further upwards. She remembered this. Teasing her wife in the best way. Getting close to, but not touching any area of the redhead's body that Bianca knew would send her onto a frantic level of impatience. Bianca's fingers reached the insides of Marissa's arms. Their gentle touch was force enough for the redhead to stop pushing her and give into whatever Bianca wanted. The brunette's hands found Marissa's and as she intertwined them, Bianca pushed them above Marissa's head. Her lips had never left the redhead's until that moment. Reluctantly, Bianca pried them away from Marissa's mouth as she moved her lips to Marissa's jawline, down to the crook of her damp neck.

"_Was this blindfold __**really**__ necessary Riss?"_

_Bianca couldn't see a thing. She could hear the soft murmur of the car's engine and Marissa's laughter. Deciding that she had had enough, Bianca began to reach for the fabric that covered her eyes, but a hand stopped her._

"_Oooh no you don't!" Marissa said. "Don't make me tie your hands up." _

"_Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you?" The brunette joked. Again, she heard Marissa's laughter._

"_You're not gonna see where we're going __**until**__ we get there."_

_Bianca groaned._

"_Well, when will that be?"_

"_Another…5 or 6 minutes." Bianca sighed. "I promise, it'll be worth it."_

_The brunette felt the redhead's hand seeking for hers. With their fingers interlaced, Bianca sighed in content and rested her head against the headrest of her seat. She felt the car come to a stop before she felt the peck of Marissa's lips on her own._

Bianca could see the vivid scenes behind her closed eyes as she continued her assault on Marissa's neck and somehow, the redhead had gotten loose from Bianca's grip and had begun to push her back again. Reluctantly, Bianca pulled away, but barely enough to allow any space between the two of them. Their noses still connected, Marissa attempted to catch her breath.

"What is it?" Bianca asked breathless.

Marissa looked up at her wife. The flashes of lightening above their heads gave her skin tone a momentary pale flicker that seemed to make her look angelic. The way the rain fell on her already drenched waves, dripping onto her face made everything that happened earlier that day fade away.

Marissa shook her head.

"What?" Bianca asked again.

Smiling, the redhead moved her body upwards, influencing Bianca to follow her lead. The brunette thought that her wife was trying to stop what they were sharing in the rain, but her fears and inner turmoil were silenced the moment she saw that divine smile fall upon Marissa's face.

The redhead offered her hand to Bianca.

"Follow me," she said. That smile had never faltered.

"_Okay, we're here."_

_Bianca silently thanked God that the blindfold over her eyes was __**finally**__ coming off of her face. She felt scared, but she felt giddy as well. For the last 20 minutes all she could see was black. Marissa hadn't used a GPS so the brunette was lost entirely as to where they were. She heard the door open and felt the redhead's hand on her shoulder._

"_C'mon you," Marissa said as she ran her hand down Bianca's arm to grab her hand. As Bianca stepped out of the car, completely putting her trust in Marissa. She heard the car door slam behind her and in the distance she could laughter and screams._

"_Uh, Marissa?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Where are we?"_

_She could hear a slight chuckle escaping Marissa's mouth. The tight piece of fabric that covered her vision had suddenly loosened. She and Marissa were parked on a hill overlooking a vision of sparkling lights. Not too far below them were the glittering fragments of an amusement park. The brunette heard the roaring of numerous rides in the distance mixed with the laughter and screams of an adrenaline rush._

"_Oh my God-"_

"_Bianca Montgomery? Welcome to your childhood!" Marissa gestured to the entertainment below them. Bianca stood frozen and in shock before she was able to turn her head to a still giggling Marissa. The redhead extended her arm to the brunette with a beaming grin. "Follow me."_

Bianca tore herself from what felt like a memory. _It has to be,_ she thought. There was no other explanation as far as she was concerned. She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that it was a crash of thunder that had suddenly startled her and forced her to jump closer to Marissa, who was ahead of her by a few steps. The redhead fell forward a bit, but Bianca caught her, steadying them both. The water still pelted on and around them and as Bianca took note of their positions, she let her moist and cold hands wander forward to the hem of Marissa's shirt as she teased the sopping flesh beneath it. Feeling her back against Bianca's chest and the way her nimble fingers played with her quickly warming skin made Marissa's heart beat at an incredible rate. She unwillingly closed her eyes and brought her own hands to cover Bianca's and squeezed them to calm her pounding heart. Carefully, Marissa stepped up and as she moved, she felt Bianca's nose fall into her hair and travel down to the nape of her neck. The brunette reluctantly released one of her hands from Marissa's waist to move the barrier that was the damp red hair. Bianca had one thought on her mind and that was to get her lips to the base of Marissa's neck. And she succeeded.

Marissa's breath caught in her throat. The moment Bianca's fingers touched her neck to move her wet hair from their position, she felt Bianca's other hand move from their position on her abdomen as they lowered to the waistline of her pants. Dexterous fingers fumbled with the buckle of her jeans and all Marissa had the sense to do was reach forward and grab a hold of the doorframe. The excitement that filled her was so palpable and untamable that the rush that filled her numbed her with pleasure. She bit her lip and quickly turned around to face Bianca, only to be pinned against the wall with her wife's nose collided with hers. Marissa wrapped her arms around Bianca's neck and leaned forward to kiss her. Bianca pulled away teasingly with a breathless grin before she launched forward to capture Marissa's bottom lip in between her own before she nibbled on it playfully. Marissa giggled and she plunged her tongue into Bianca's mouth as her lips battled her wife's.

Bianca's kiss lasted longer than intended. She wouldn't pry away from Marissa. She kept her lips on the redhead's and she felt the lawyer's arms go around her neck. The brunette reached behind Marissa to feel for the doorknob, but was proving to be unsuccessful.

"W-wait," Bianca whispered as she wrenched away from Marissa panting. Bianca directed her hands to open the door and the level of difficulty continued to be a high one. Marissa's lips fell to her neck and she could feel the redhead's warm and wet tongue licking and sucking her pulse point.

Bianca finally got the door open and before she could do anything, she felt a force pulling her inside. She slammed the door and Marissa's eager lips were back on hers. Bianca fumbled to get her shoes off as quickly as she could. She was being pulled forward, towards the living room, where the fire still roared in its setting. Marissa's hands went to the hem of her shirt, pulling it off, their lips only leaving the others' for a brief moment. A shirtless Bianca kissed Marissa and she could feel the redhead removing her own shirt against the friction of their actions. Bianca raised her hands to Marissa's to stop them, which the redhead obeyed to. The brunette curled her fingers at the hem of the redhead's shirt. Her nails lightly scratched the skin they came into contact with as she raised the fabric of the tight T. She removed the wet article of clothing leaving Marissa breathing in a thrilling pant in her bra and jeans. The two of them tumbled onto the blanketed floor beneath them as Bianca steadied her weight above Marissa. Her arms snaked around the redhead's waist and brought a hand to her cheek as Marissa pulled away momentarily.

"Marissa…"

She gazed up at Bianca with a look of worry.

"What is it?" Bianca asked as she gently kissed Marissa's lips.

"Are…are you sure?" Marissa asked. Bianca began to chuckle. "Why are you laughing?"

"Are you serious?" Bianca asked. She ran her right hand down Marissa's waist as her thumb lightly caressed a path over the redhead's belly button. She watched as goose bumps formed on her stomach and immediately felt pleased with herself.

"Yeah, I am… Are you sure?"

Bianca couldn't help but chuckle once more.

"Why would you ask me that?" Bianca asked. She leaned down and connected her forehead with Marissa's.

"I'm sorry… It's just that-"

Bianca placed her lips back onto Marissa's, kissing her fiercely. Bianca grinded her pelvis against Marissa's before her fingers became reacquainted with the button on her jeans.

"Trust me," Bianca whispered against Marissa's lips. "I'm sure."

She pushed her lips to Marissa's again and began to undue her pants while the redhead worked on unhooking the clasp on Bianca's bra. Marissa moved to the button on the brunette's skin-tight jeans as soon as Bianca had finished tearing the material that had stuck to Marissa's body. The redhead fused their lips together and ran her hand along the brunette's inner thigh, which was encouraged through the rasp of breath and desperate moan that escaped Bianca's throat. Her blood pounded throughout her body as she could think of nothing that excited her more in her lifetime. No amount of familiarity or a vivid memory of anything in her past could keep her from the adrenaline rush that came with the anticipation of a cascading wave of emotions and pleasure.

_It was all uphill from here. The lap bar that restrained her from moving at all was firmly in place. She looked ahead of her at the wooden track that they had yet to come upon. This climb was a high one and due to the age of the coaster, it was somewhat slower than the ones that she had seen as she and Marissa had walked through the grounds of the amusement park. The only wooden one, however, happened to have the highest drop and it appealed to Marissa._

'_**Go big or go home.' **__She had said as she pulled the brunette into the long lineup._

_They were halfway up when Bianca looked down to the now ant-size like people walking around. Terror filled her chest and she closed her eyes to shut it out. Bianca bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming in fear, but it never came. She felt a comforting breath fall on her bare shoulder as Marissa whispered into her ear and placed a hand on her own._

"_Bianca, open your eyes."_

_The brunette shook her head and Marissa giggled._

"_Babe, c'mon. Open your eyes."_

'_**Babe'? Did she just call me 'Babe'?**__ She thought. _

_Bianca opened her eyes and turned to Marissa who was still leaning extremely close toward her. The redhead was smiling._

"_There they are. Look," Marissa said as she nodded off to the distance of the night sky above them. Bianca tore her gaze from Marissa's grinning face to look up. "See how beautiful it is?" The redhead asked._

_Bianca shrugged and turned back to her girlfriend._

"_Not as beautiful as you."_

_The brunette watched as the redhead blushed and bit her bottom lip._

_The train of the coaster reached the top of the hill and as it reared over the mound, Bianca looked down as her breath got caught in her throat._

"_WHERE'S THE TRACK?" She screamed only to hear the faint utterance of Marissa's laugh._

_As they plunged downwards, Bianca heard a mixture of screams and yelps of excitement. Her own voice was tuned out in her own head as she looked in front of her at the lanes to come. An exhilarating surge hurtled throughout her body and, suddenly, she felt her hand rise. She looked up to see why both of her palms weren't sweaty from holding on for dear life and saw that Marissa had been holding her hand the entire time. She gazed over at the redhead's other hand and saw that it was raised as well. The look on Marissa's face brought a smile to Bianca's face and was cause enough for laughter to escape Bianca's mouth. _

_The fear disappeared._

_A new bravery overcame Bianca's fright and, for the first time in her life, she let go._

_Bianca raised her other hand and shouted with enthusiasm. The wind hit her face in a refreshing breeze as it sped through her hair giving the world a view of her excited face._

_The rollercoaster finished with a final rise and fall of the car before coming to a complete stop. Her hair flew in front of her and covered her vision as she listened to the woops and laughs of the people that surrounded her. Once she could see again, Bianca turned to Marissa who was staring at her._

"_What?" Bianca asked._

"_Congratulations Ms. Montgomery, you are no longer a rollercoaster virgin."_

_Bianca chuckled whole-heartedly and nodded._

"_Yes, and you lost your 'Babe-ginity'."_

"_My what?" Marissa asked as she furrowed her brows._

_The brunette bit her upper lip and took the redhead's hand in hers._

"_Before I opened my eyes, you called me 'babe'." Bianca replied with a crooked and sly smile._

"_Hmmm…" Marissa commented. "Well, then I guess it's a night of firsts for us, isn't it?" She inquired._

_Bianca nodded theatrically before she leaned forward and encased Marissa's lips with her own, fervently._

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Bianca woke up from her dream. Her field of view was coming slowly into focus as she took in her surroundings. Her nose had been pressed into the bare back of someone she thought she had forgotten. She raised her head and looked over their shoulder to find the fire that had once been bright burning out. The dying embers were fighting to stay bright and succeeding. Rain fell angrily on the roof and against the windows in a such a way that added to the serenity that Bianca felt within her. The rest came from the redhead that she held in her arms…

Her arm was wrapped securely around Marissa's steadily breathing form as their hands were coiled around one another's. The redhead had form a pillow of them for they rested comfortably beneath her head and, content with the setting, Bianca lay back down and repositioned her head on the pillow that she and Marissa had torn from the couch after the numerous blissful interactions. The brunette recalled the way her redhead stared down at her; the way her hair framed her face; how even after she questioned Bianca of her certainty, Marissa was still careful with her, but not enough so that the brunette felt frustrated or bored.

It had been different.

Definitely.

But better than Bianca had expected or remembered.

A tickling sensation rose in the brunette as the recollection of a few hours ago flooded her head once more.

Then she saw it.

Something she hadn't noticed before.

She was captivated.

Bianca brought her fingertips from her hand that lay beneath the pillow to the small design that rested permanently on the backside of Marissa's right shoulder. The emblem of an open heart seemed to glow in the light of the flickering fire as silver wings looked like they fluttered across Marissa's smooth, pale skin. Squinting, Bianca took a closer look at the script that hugged the design.

_Forevermore_.

A tear escaped Bianca's eye. She couldn't help but lean forward and have her lips caress the indelible mark. The fiery skin beneath her mouth began to move and the brunette found herself kissing Marissa's skin more and more as she travelled up from her shoulder blade to the redhead's neck.

Marissa felt the familiar tingling of Bianca's hot mouth on her body. She groaned in contentment as she held a tighter grasp on Bianca's hand.

She turned to face her wife with a beaming smile before crashing their lips in a searing kiss that left both of them in a heap of tender caresses. With their heads resting against the other's, Bianca and Marissa fell into a loving embrace.

"That's new." Bianca commented.

"What is?" Marissa asked.

Bianca's index finger ran up the column of her spine and landed on the tattoo that she had previously seen and tapped the skin it marked.

Marissa grinned.

"Oh…_that._"

"Yup."

Marissa breathed deeply.

"Yeah, I…I got it about a year ago… Someone tried to convince me that you were dead," she said. She brought a hand to brush Bianca's forehead, wiping away the fallen pieces of hair. "But I didn't listen. I couldn't listen. Something in me was fighting to find you…"

Bianca sighed and smirked.

"And you did…" She whispered before she pecked Marissa's lips.

The redhead nodded.

"Yeah… And I'm gonna keep fighting for you."

"…We're gonna win." Bianca muttered.

"Yes," Marissa breathed.

She leaned forward and collided into Bianca for a kiss that spoke three volumes;

Volume of passion

Volume of overcoming conflict.

Volume of love.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

**Marissa's POV**

You use the most amount of muscles when you kiss someone versus any other activity that the human body engages in.

But is that for all kisses or is it specific to a certain kind of kiss?

Because there are different kinds of kisses.

Kisses of fervor.

Kisses of friendship.

Kisses between family.

Kisses that have no value.

Kisses that mean everything.

And then there are kisses that wipe away any doubt that lead to us finding a form of strength within that we had no idea that we possessed.

And maybe that's why a kiss speaks volumes… Why it means so much and why it says more than words will ever say…

o.o.O.O.o.o

Here it is! An update! I hope I didn't disappoint. I kept it tame for my T rating.

More to come and soon!

Promise!

Lotsa love!


	44. Inquire

o.o.O.O.o.o

**Jackson's POV**

Sometimes there are things that you can't explain or that can be explained but not with any form of proof or demonstration because that's how it is. It just is. But then there are those moments. Those flashes of hope where those specific things work out for us…or so we think. We take the time to focus on it...really focus on it and after a while, it comes to us. We can demonstrate how these little facts are true.

Aristotle once said that a great debater could take any side and win. Sort of makes you wonder what that means. Does it mean that you know how to bullshit someone? You can easily persuade someone? Or that there is a coherence in the way you present your facts? His view was that even if you don't believe in the position you're forced to take, you can still find a way to defend it properly and win. I don't think his views were about speaking nothing, but nonsense and yet still managing to persuade someone into think you were right.

No.

I think he was trying to say that you have to ask _all_ of the questions in order to get an answer. When you ask questions, you find holes. You find those empty gaps that answer the questions that you didn't even think you needed to ask. You inquire to the things that don't make sense.

That's all it takes.

Inquiries.

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

'_Are you serious?'_

'_Are you serious?'_

'_Are you serious?'_

Bianca could hear Marissa's voice of disbelief over and over and over again in her head. It was something she had heard before, and she knew it, but she couldn't place it.

'_Are you serious?'_

She tried to put it out of her mind. She closed her eyes, willing for something, anything else to take over her brain. Uncle Jack was currently asking Griff about her brain and progress. She could tell everyone about it, particularly at this point in time. But she didn't want to hear any of it. She wanted to hear something different. Feel something familiar. She wanted to go back to how she had woken up that morning.

"_Yes, we're __**definitely**__ going to win," Marissa muttered against Bianca's mouth. The brunette smiled in perfect contentment as the redhead continued to kiss her lips lovingly. She could feel Marissa aching for more as the redhead slipped her tongue past the brunette's teeth and moved to straddle her. Marissa's elegant and slender fingers had begun to wander and her mouth began to trail kisses down her neck._

"_You're insatiable, Ms. Tasker." Bianca said with a smile. Marissa suddenly stopped. "Why'd you stop?" Bianca asked disappointed._

"_You called me Ms. Tasker…"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_It's __**Mrs.**__ Tasker-__**Montgomery**__," Marissa stated. Bianca smirked as she felt the redhead's breath on her ear. It caused to her to shudder in the best way. She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing the moment Marissa pulled away from her ear to look at her. Bianca knew, even in her exhausted state, the response she would get from calling Marissa 'Tasker' as opposed to 'Tasker-Montgomery'. "You're playing with me Montgomery!" Marissa stated, feign-shocked. _

_Bianca couldn't take it anymore. She blurted out into full-blown laughter and began to tickle Marissa. The redhead keeled over, laughing hard, the moment Bianca's fingers connected to her ribs. _

"_You're __**so**__ dead!" The redhead shouted, but Bianca only continued to laugh and tickle Marissa harder. She watched as the redhead crumbled further and used it to gain the upper hand. Using her strength, Bianca turned Marissa and tickled her onto her back. The giggles that escaped her mouth were music to Bianca's ears and she never wanted to stop hearing them._

"_Stop it! Stop it!" Marissa chuckled. _

_Bianca settled herself on top of Marissa, placing her elbows on either side of the redhead's face. She was still snickering, which made Bianca wish to be closer to her wife. Leaning down, Bianca connected their noses together as she brought her hands to push Marissa's hair out of her face. The lawyer's laughter was soon breaking and calming down._

"_You're right. I __**was**__ playing you __**Mrs.**__ Tasker-__**Montgomery**__."_

"_Meanie!" Marissa whispered._

"_You love it."_

_Marissa nodded._

"_You're right. I do. And I love you most of all."_

_Bianca smiled before she leaned down and kissed Marissa feverishly._

"_C'mon. Let's go to sleep."_

"_Already?" Marissa pouted._

"_Mmhmm… I've got three years of holding you to make up for Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery."_

"So her family members _told_ her what her memories were?"

Bianca had been torn out of her beautiful memory only to replaced by the torturous voice of Damien Ward.

Griffin Castillo was ready to slap Damien Ward across the face for trying to twist his strong analysis of Bianca's incredible progress. When Jackson Montgomery had called him to the stand to give his testimony, he was very clear and concise, making sure he left no holes in his descriptions of Bianca's development throughout her amnesia. He didn't play up her character, but rather had given a proper, professional, and accurate account of who she was and her honesty. Her determination was a large factor in her healing and yet, Damien Ward had managed to take those last two characteristics and mold them into a way that would make the brunette look unstable and a liar.

"You are twisting my words, Mr. Ward."

"Not at all, Dr. Castillo. I'm simply stating that what you said, that Ms. Montgomery was determined to get her memory back, could mean that she inquired her memories from what family and friends have told her. If that's the case, then she wouldn't know if what she said in her testimony was true or not."

He kept a level head about him and sighed deeply before responding to the question.

"That is _only_ a possibility Mr. Ward, however it is improbable."

Damien squinted.

"How so?"

"Mrs. Montgomery-Tasker's family and friends were under strict instructions to not tell her anything of her past that she could not recall. It was only until Bianca questioned them about a specific memory that they were able to confirm or deny what she remembered."

"But it _was_ you who insisted that the family bring someone from the past back to Pine Valley, correct? A Ms. Stone?"

"It was a suggestion."

"And she did return?"

"Yes, she did. But it wasn't me who called her."

"No, that was your assistant."

Griffin squinted his eyebrows in confusion.

"Okay, now _that_ is impossible."

"And why is that Dr. Castillo?"

"Because I don't _have_ an assistant Mr. Ward."

Damien Ward stood stumped. He didn't know what else to ask. It was obvious to him that this was not Dr. Castillo's first time as a witness for a court case. Okay, so Bianca Montgomery's memory was and could probably be considered accurate. No biggy. He still had his own case to present. Giving a curt nod to Griffin, he turned to the judge and made a common, simple statement.

"No further questions, Your Honour."

Judge Donahue squinted and then shut his eyes, trying to relax himself and to keep from directly insulting Damien Ward. The lawyer had been before him many times and every time, the judge wished for a quick death.

"You may step down Dr. Castillo."

Griffin nodded a thank you to the judge and returned to his seat.

"Mr. Ward, in light of your inability to prove Mrs. Montgomery's testimony as invalid, I have no choice, but to rule her allegations as fit evidence in the district attorney's case." Donahue turned his attention to Jackson. "Mr. Montgomery, you may continue."

Jack rose to his feet.

"Thank you, Your Honour. At this time, I would like to call upon Dr. Mary Margaret Stone."

Marissa froze. _Maggie's here?_ She heard the shuffle of an individual rising to their feet some ways behind her. Maggie Stone was sitting at the back of the courtroom and when she heard her full name being called, she instantly became shaky. She had watched the way Damien Ward attempted to crumble Griffin Castillo into nothing, but had failed. However, she knew that the doctor had been a part of many proceedings. She, however, wasn't so experienced. The cases she received had always lacked the position as being a part of criminal proceedings. Not two days ago, Maggie received an urgent phone call from Jackson Montgomery asking her to return to Pine Valley one final time. If there was any hope of Bianca receiving any justice for what had happened to her, Maggie would have to answer a few questions.

As her former lover passed by, Bianca felt only guilt. Nothing she felt pertained to romantic love when her eyes rested upon Maggie Stone. Their eyes connected and Maggie simply smirked at her.

"Dr. Stone, how long have you known Bianca Montgomery-Tasker?"

"About 20 years, give or take a few years."

"And how would you characterize Ms. Montgomery?"

"Objection, Your Honour!" Damien said as he stood up. "Why is this relevant?"

"Mr. Ward, your client is on trial for the abduction and brutal assault on Ms. Montgomery _as well_ as arson." Jackson said. "You also attempted to make Bianca Montgomery out to be a liar and weak in character and therefore untrustworthy. Ms. Stone has known Mrs. Montgomery for a long amount of time and is neither a direct family member nor colleague."

"Overruled Mr. Ward."

"Thank you, Your Honour. Dr. Stone, would you please answer the question?"

Maggie nodded.

"Bianca Montgomery is a strong and caring woman. She's a fantastic mother and would never do anything to jeopardize that. And even though she and I haven't spoken to each other in a long time, we recently reconnected and I've found that she hasn't changed at all. She's a woman who knows what she wants."

"Would you say that she would do just about anything to get what she wants?"

"No. Bianca knows boundaries, but that won't keep her from fighting."

"Is it like Mrs. Montgomery to just take off without so much as a goodbye or any form of notice?"

"No."

"Thank you, Dr. Stone. Now you reside in Paris, France, is that correct?"

"Yes, yes it is."

"And you practice medicine there?"

"Yes, I do."

"So, what made you return to Pine Valley?"

"I received a call from an assistant to Dr. Griffin Castillo. Actually, it was a message that they had left on my voicemail. I had been in surgery at the time they called."

"But Dr. Castillo just testified that he did not have an assistant."

"Like I said, it was what had been left on my voicemail."

Jackson kept looking at Maggie.

"Do you still have this voicemail, Dr. Stone?"

Maggie nodded.

"Yes."

She reached into her front pocket and pulled her cellular device from it.

"Your Honour, with your permission, I'd like to play the following voice message?"

"Of course, Mr. Montgomery."

Maggie inserted her pass code and handed the phone to Jackson who had placed it before the judge. Soon, the room was filled with a very familiar and very feminine voice.

"Yes, Dr. Stone, this is Ta…Tasha Morris from Pine Valley Hospital here in Pennsylvania. I'm an assistant to Dr. Griffin Castillo, head of Cardiology. Recently, we've had to treat her and she has lost her memory. Dr. Castillo believes it pertinent that you return to Pine Valley as she needs your presence. Thank you for your time and have a great day."

A beep signaled the end of the message.

"'Ta…Tasha Morris'?" Judge Donahue asked to nobody in particular. The judge was exhausted. When he received this case, he hoped it would be cut and dry. Short, simple, but this was quickly proving to not be the case.

"Dr. Stone, where were you on the night of June 12, the night of the fire that had taken place at Mrs. Montgomery's residence?"

"I was at my hotel. I had a conference call with a doctor who had been caring for one of my patients in my absence."

"Thank you, Dr. Stone." Jackson said as he looked at the judge. "No further questions."

Damien stood up, completely prepared to have Dr. Stone contradict herself. He walked closer to the stand and rested an elbow on it before the doctor.

"Dr. Stone, you said that you were on a conference call the night of the fire?"

"Yes, I was."

"Where were you _supposed_ to be at that time?"

"I was supposed to have picked up Bianca for an evening out. The call was a last minute thing."

"Do you have any proof of that claim?"

"Yes. Mr. Montgomery has the communiqué from the hospital."

"Which is in the file I gave you, Your Honour." Jackson said as he stood. The judge nodded and Damien continued.

"Around what time was that?" Ward asked.

"Approximately 8:00."

"Huh…" Damien Ward said as he made his way back to his station and picked up a loose-leaf sheet from the tabletop. "That's odd because it says here in the lab report that the fire started approximately 7:45 PM that same evening, which means there could have been _plenty_ of time for you to start that fire yourself. And that would've been just fine for you wouldn't it?"

"Excuse me?" Maggie asked.

"Well it's no secret that when you returned to Pine Valley, Dr. Stone, you wished for a reconnection with Mrs. Montgomery that would mirror the romance you two shared after the birth of Miranda Montgomery. But Bianca rejected you, did she not? That's the perfect motive to set her home on fire. Jealousy, anger, contempt?"

Maggie tried not to laugh, but a small chortle escaped her mouth.

"There are two _very_ large holes in your theory, Mr. Ward." Maggie simply stated.

"And why is that, Dr. Stone?"

"First of all, Mr. Ward, Mrs. Montgomery hadn't 'rejected' me until _after_ someone had set fire to the household. She was in a hospital bed when she told me that she didn't love me _that way_… And the second, well, the second, Bianca told me herself. In order to get into the basement through the door, you need a key and only 6 people in that household have it; Bianca, Marissa, Miranda, AJ, Gabby and your client, Mr. Ward."

"You could have easily stolen Mrs. Montgomery's key, Dr. Stone-"

"Mr. Ward, unless you have any hard evidence, _please_ keep your theories to yourself." The judge stated, glaring at Damien as if it would set him on fire.

"No more questions, Your Honour."

"Mr. Montgomery, do you have anymore witnesses to this case?"

"I'd like to call upon my final witness, Your Honour. Mr. Gerald Greenburg."

_Our next-door neighbour?_ Bianca asked herself. The gentleman that Bianca had only recently become reacquainted with rose from his seat about two rows behind, to the left of her. The 5 foot 10, 194 pound man with light facial hair and the lack of it on his head donned a suit and took the stand. He smiled at Bianca and Marissa just after he was sworn in.

Gerald regarded Jackson Montgomery on a high note and believed in duty. He knew something, had seen something, and thought he could help out the couple in any way he could.

"Mr. Greenburg, could you explain to the court who you are?"

"I'm Mrs. Montgomery and Mrs. Tasker's next-door neighbour. Our houses are placed approximately 50 yards apart."

"And were you home on the night of the fire?"

"Yes. I had been out of town and gotten home about an hour before the fire department, paramedics, and police department arrived."

"According to the evidence, they arrived at approximately 8:37. So, you got home at around 7:40?"

"Around that time, yes."

"And what did you see when you got home?"

"Well I was coming back from a business trip. On my way home from the airport, I was in a cab, and a few seconds away from my house. I look out the window and I see Ms. Hendersen sprinting up the driveway. I didn't think anything of it because I knew she had been living in the house for almost a year. I got home, paid the cabdriver and as I made my way to the door, I saw her sprinting around the house to the backyard."

"Did you follow her actions any further than that?"

"Only long enough to see her go through the basement doors. I've seen her use that entrance occasionally, so nothing seemed out of the ordinary to me. So, I just headed inside to be with my wife and kids after my long time away. Next thing I know, there are lights and sirens outside my window and the Montgomery-Tasker household was up in flames and smoke."

"Did you notice anyone else going in the house or coming out of the house?"

"No."

"Thank you, Mr. Greenburg." Jackson nodded to the 50 year old man and smiled politely.

"Mr. Ward, do you wish to cross examine the witness?" Judge Donahue asked cautiously.

"Of course, Your Honour. I just have a couple of questions." Damien straightened his jacket and walked over to Gerald. He stopped before the middle-aged man on the stand and placed his hands behind his back, folding them comfortably. "Just a simple 'yes' or 'no' will suffice, Mr. Greenburg, okay?"

Gerald nodded and folded his hands in his lap.

"Did you see Ms. Hendersen leave the house?"

"No."

"Did you see her start the fire, Mr. Greenburg?"

"No, sir."

"Thank you, Mr. Greenburg." Ward said as he turned to the judge. He lifted his hands and smirked distastefully and overconfidently. "No more questions, Your Honour."

The judge watched as Damien Ward walked back to his seat. He dismissed Mr. Greenburg and then turned his attention to Jack.

"Do you have any more witnesses, Mr. Montgomery."

Jackson rose to his feet and shook his head.

"No, none, Your Honour."

"Well then, Mr. Ward. Please present your case."

"Your Honour, as a first witness, the defense calls upon Donna Donaldson."

-x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x-

Newest chapter and Mr. Ward does what he thinks he does best. Stay tuned for more! LOOOVING the reviews guys, thanks SO much!

Lotsa love!

o.o.O.O.o.o


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